Engel: Sacrifice
by Blood-Lotus Demonwalker
Summary: 'Please wait for me,' Vash had told her as he disappeared into the shadows for the last time. Now, the rumor of his death consumes her. Four years has engulfed the world in a war amongst humanity. A young man anticipates this war, waiting for the sunrise.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Trigun or anything of its contents. The only things that I own are some of the cities (I'm too lazy to write which ones), Celestia and Demonte (Demonte of which you will find in Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love…Not), and I don't own the lyrics to Engel, by Rammstein, or the title 'Engel' which inspired me to write this in the first place. Well, that and the awesome Trigun music video accompanied by it. I'm still too lazy to get the name of that person too, but it was amazing.

**A/N:** I've been writing this story for a long while now (And I mean REALLY long while) And I'm still not done. I've been doing a lot of researching on the show, taking notes, and this is only the first Saga. So, let me know if this story is even worth my time writing. Some chapters might be boring, but I'm trying to make as many chapters as possible. So some, not all, chapters may not have so much action in them. Oh well, please bear with me. So, the first half will be titled Engel: Sacrifice, and halfway through, it will change to Engel: Salvation.

All right! Onward!

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**Engel: Sacrifice**

**Prologue**

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_Erst wenn die Wolken schlafengehn_

_Kann man uns am Himmel sehn_

_Wir haben Angst und sind allein_

_Gott Weiss Ich Will Kein Engel Sein_

_-Rammstein's 'Engel'_

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_Across dark and vast plains runs a man hidden beneath shadows. His past is mysterious, unknown even to himself. His eyes, older than his time, seem to glisten with unwanted tears that refuse to fall. In the dark world lies one truth barricaded by many lies. Where does he stand in this world of peril, blown away by the sand and wind?_

A boy with the appearance of a three-year old looks up at a woman with loving eyes. She giggles as she looks back, and ruffles his hair gently. The woman whispers his name into his ear and then glances over at a little girl, who is sleeping peacefully next to the boy. The woman tosses her raven hair over her shoulder and wiggles her naked toes around in the grass. The boy imitates her movements, laughing as the soft blades tickle the soles of his feet.

He suddenly stands up, teetering, and begins to walk around in a circle, feeling the grass falling over the tops of his feet. His eyes are smiling. He turns to look back at the woman, waiting to see if she is watching him. She is. Happily, he opens his arms and rushes to give her a hug.

"I love you, Rem," his tiny voice is absorbed into her white shirt. These words were something that the boy had just recently learned how to say.

She is surprised, and inattentively wraps her arms around him, returning the embrace. Her voice is warm and it nuzzles the back of his neck as she whispers back, "I love you too."

Then, as though the feeling vanishes, the boy pulls back and slowly shifts his attention to the small, sleeping girl beside the woman named, 'Rem.'

"We have to leave…don't we?" his voice breaks, and his smile fades.

She says nothing at first, her eyes dropping to the blanket of grass below. Though just a child, the boy was nowhere near as naïve as most his age. It was amazing, really. There was just no explanation for it.

Moments later, she sorrowfully admits, "…Yes." The boy's face falls and she bites down on her lip. "But we're going to find a new home," she quickly adds. "A new home full of flowers, and grass, and rivers, and trees." She is comforted when his eyes meet hers, "All of us."

"You, and me, and Sis?" he questions, as though afraid that the woman would intend to leave them behind.

"Of course, silly!" she laughs and reaches out for him. He gives in and she wraps her arms around him in another embrace. A tighter one this time.

He apparently feels better now, and he pulls away to run around in the grass. His heart light, he drops and rolls until he lands on his back.

"Are we going to where Alex went, Rem?"

The woman gapes, and her eyes widen. Then she becomes sad and shakes her head. "No…No, he's somewhere else."

"Why don't we visit him sometime, Rem? You talk about him so much and I really want to meet him."

Then Rem, amazingly, laughs, as though it's no big deal at all.

"Sweetheart, Alex lives in a place where only good people go."

"Good people? Does that mean that we aren't good people Rem?"

"Of course not, Honey," she stands up, and stretches. "It just means that it's not our time to meet him yet." She looks down on the young boy, who had rolled over on his stomach and promptly began to play with a blade of grass. "You'll meet him someday, I promise. You'll understand soon enough." She slips her shoes onto her feet.

"And Sis too? She can meet Alex, right?" he discards the small blade of grass and props his head on his hands.

"Absolutely!" she smiles and tilts her head towards the big oak tree hovering above them, abundant with leaves and thick branches. Glints of sunlight shine through different patches of leaves from up in the tree. "Someday, we'll all go and meet him. I promise." She closes her eyes, lost in the moment, and her face lights up with the thought. After a moment, her eyes open and she refocuses her attention on the boy. "Well, I need to go and meet Joey. We leave tomorrow."

"Away from Earth?" the boy asks, despondently.

"Yes."

"But what about the grass and the trees here? We can't leave them behind…"

She stoops over and strokes his face. "Sweetie, there aren't any trees or grass left. There are only a few and this," she gestures to the tree behind them. "…It's one of the only ones left. But it won't survive much longer. It pains me to leave it behind, but I'm afraid that there is nothing that we can do."

"We can't take them on the ship? There's not enough room?"

Rem straightens her back, eyes sad, and slowly looks to the tree.

"I don't want to see it die…" she whispers, thinking that it's too low for the boy to catch.

But he hears and mimics her, "Die…" The boy runs the word over and over in his mind, making a face. "You said Alex died, Rem…Is that why we can't see Alex? Because he died?"

Rem's eyes begin to glisten with tears. "Come on. We must get ready for tomorrow."

"Rem?" the boy's face becomes concerned, and he gets up, intending to comfort the woman.

Her voice stops him in his movements, "I'm all right; just stay here for a little while longer and watch Sis, all right?"

The boy hesitates, but sits back on the ground. He watches Rem depart from the hill. Suddenly, the little girl stirs and glances down at the boy.

"Is she gone?" she asks, groggily.

"Were you pretending to be sleep again?" he crawls over to her side. "You always do that. Rem says that it's not very nice to eavesdrop."

"No," she yawns and sits up. "I woke up just a moment ago. I only caught the last of what you two were saying." The girl brushes a strand of hair away from her childlike face and rubs her eyes. "I don't like Steve," she announced.

"Oh? From the SEED Project?"

"Yeah, he wants to put us in 'Cold Sleep.'"

"Oh," the boy turns his head away from her chewing on the idea of 'Cold Sleep.' "You mean when we leave tomorrow…"

The girl nods, though he can't see, and hugs her knees to her chest. "I'm scared."

The boy looks back to the girl, but can offer her no reprieve, as he is just as scared as she is.

"We can't think about that," he tells her, trying to sound strong. "Rem will take care of us."

"I hope you're right," she sniffles mildly.

The boy closes his eyes tightly. He hopes that he was right too.

_Footsteps run into the night, accompanies by the fog. The world is desolate and dreary, civilization having been pulled into a dark void. He can't remember what has taken place in his past from before. All he knows is that something of great turbulence is happening now. And a dark vengeance lies within._

End Prologue

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That's the Prologue for you. I'll post the first chapter shortly and let you all see if you want to stick with it or whatnot and…yeah all that good stuff.

BLD


	2. Demonte

Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun, don't own other stuff…pretty much just my two main characters (Who aren't the ONLY characters in Engel: Sacrifice, mind you, so expect more! ^_^ Cheers) and some of the city names, blah blah, whatever.

A/N: No, you won't see my little 'author's notes' in every chapter, but I would like to take a minute to explain some things. First off…THANKS TO MY FIRST THREE REVIEWERS! Huzzah! I finally have my first few takers to the story…hopefully. 

This is for Subaiku85who asked if the story/brother and sister compact was based off the anime or manga of Trigun. The answer is no. The entire story of Engel is ALL original (Except for what happened in Trigun, but I trust that you all will be able to distinguish that. If not, then ask, please). I've been writing this story for so long that I don't even REMEMBER where I got this idea. All I've done is built my story upon that of Trigun and that is the only thing I'm guilty of (But everyone else does that so, what the heck?). 

One more thing (That I can think of at the moment) I've spent a bazillion (Yeah, I know it's not a word) hours on this story, watching Trigun, taking notes, and building my own story so that everything is precise. Such as: the Plants theory, why Knives became insane, etc…And I know that there is going to be a lot of confusing parts. (Believe me, I get confused from time to time and I WROTE the story) So, I know how it feels to read a story and get confused and although it's a great story, I remain confused. So, if anyone gets confused with whatever concept I'm trying to spell out here, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT: 

Blood_Lotus_Demonwalker@yahoo.com

And ask your question. I can either answer it, or say that I haven't explained it yet or whatever. The chapters should be self-explanatory (Please oh please I'm hoping that they are _) but I encourage people to ask anyway. I am really hoping that this turns out to be a good story (with all the hours that I'm spending on it, God knows I'm trying) so let me know what you think. Such as what I should improve on, what I'm doing good at, etc…comments, critiques (Notice I said 'critiques' and not FLAMES. I hate flames.) And all that other good stuff. I have this planned out at about 60 chapters give or take. It's up to you guys to tell me whether or not I should stay with it. Oh and this story is rated PG-13 for language and some violence. Not IMMENSE blood, guts, and gore, but yeah, people die, what can I say? And without further ado, Engel.

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Engel: Sacrifice

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Chapter One

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Demonte

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"To judge a man who has turned over a new leaf for the horrendous deeds from the past would be like judging a butterfly for once inhabiting the body of a undignified caterpillar."

-Author Unknown

Footsteps. Footsteps had been etched into the sandy planet as two long legs continued across its surface. A hooded man, holding the palm of his hand over the bridge of his nose and the bottom of his eyes, shielded the treacherous storm that had blinded his view of the horizon. December City was just up ahead.

Although the silhouette had clothed himself with a warm cloak, held in place with a black sash, he still could not brush off the chilled wind brought from the southern plains. He cursed utter words below audibility. The sand steamer had broken down a few iles back. If his mission hadn't been so damn important, he knew that he would have skipped town and report back to headquarters in Fondrique. But that was irrelevant at this point.

One step after the other, he felt his back ache and his fingers grow numb from the winter cold. It rarely ever snowed on Gunsmoke, but it sure as hell felt like it was winter every single day. The hard gravel was closing in around his feet. Shivering, the man tightened the grip on the loose folds on the front of his cloak with his free hand as the other enclosed his face, like a shadowed figure looming behind in silent darkness.

The wind howled and clouds moved overhead, cutting off the soft moon glow from above. Then the fog became heavier. As the man approached the town, he quickly reached for his holster. There was no telling what kind of ruthless vermin roamed around these parts at night—especially in storms such as tonight.

The door to the hideout burst open and the man stepped inside, shaking the sand from his cloak. He shut the door before advancing towards the large green leather chair, which had been turned away from him, in the middle of the well-kept room. The old grandfather clock ticked softly, the pendulum swaying back and forth invariably. Satin coated the floors as the slick mahogany of the wooden walls gave a polished feel to the atmosphere. It felt good to be out of the storm.

"So, you made it after all…" Came a gruff voice from the chair.

"What did you expect me to do?" The hooded man asked as he stalked towards the middle of the room. "I have a job to do. I had no intention of abandoning my post."

"Yes," The word seemed to be pushed through the pursed lips of the gruff man. "And you shall be paid handsomely for your trouble. Dedication such as yours, will not go unnoticed."

"Before you go and savor my loyalty, you owe me the money for even setting foot through that door," The hooded man held out his hand and the chair turned slightly, revealing a tall, bulky man in a cotton suit, balding at the foremost point of his head.

"The Dark Ages are here, my son. We do what we can to get by. Your money is in my desk. All $$300,000 of it." He rubbed his mustache.

The hooded man retreated back to the door and turned, eyeing the old oak desk beside it. Pulling open the top drawer, he spotted the lavender envelope resting inside. Reaching in for the treasure, the hooded man smirked and nodded.

"The Dark Ages…" A lock of black hair had escaped into his hidden face. "How long has this been going on? Four years at least."

"Four years next month," The gruff man reached into his breast pocket and emerged with an oversized cigar. He plopped the end of it into his mouth and lit the tip ever so lightly. "There's only one man to blame for this catastrophe. Damn, I never wanted to admit it, but I knew that this would happen. Ever since the incident with July."

"Vash the Stampede…" The hooded man licked his lips as the words poured from his mouth, crisp and clear. "That Outlaw has been dead for almost four years now. You honestly think that he's to blame for all of this?"

"Damn straight." The gruff man puffed and inhaled the aroma of the cigar smoke. "You know what happened back in Volman City. The unexplained murders? The wave of darkness casting its glower from the evening sky? It was like a sign from God himself. There hasn't been a sunny sky since. So do I blame that red bastard? Damn straight," He said again. "From then on, humanity has plummeted straight to Hell. Can't even make a decent living on this planet. It's people like you and me who barely make a living, doing what we do."

The hooded man cringed. "But is it right?"

"Of course it is," The gruff man replied nonchalantly. "It's every man for himself. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there and everyone's gonna take you for what you've got. "Another puff off the cigar. "Simple as that." Ah, well spoken. "Resources are just too hard to find. If you thought water was scarce before, look at it now. No trees, no grass, even the birds won't come out to sing. It's like Hell itself has taken over this planet. Over half of the human population is gone, annihilated from the face of this planet!" The gruff man swung his arm back in a gesture that nearly knocked over his lamp from the small wooden coffee table resting beside him.

"I had to walk from the city of Pierce after the sand steamer broke down. That's the fifth sand steamer that's broken down this week," The hooded man stated, changing the subject. "Soon, there won't be any automotive vehicles left on this planet and the only means of transportation will be by walking." He chuckled. "Even the thomases have managed to become extinct, and there's only a few that haven't. But that's not even the most hideous part of it. There isn't a single one left that hasn't been affected by the Demon's Cry. I suppose that the only way to tame those monsters is to be a demon yourself." 

"It just seems to be getting worse," The gruff man agreed. "But enough about the Dark Ages, I sent you out to retrieve some information for me. What did you find?"

"For what I found out, I should charge you double the price." The hooded man stepped forward. "It seems that Granus City, has indeed been stockpiling on ammunition," In the Dark Ages, it was almost impossible to find any links to guns and explosives. "just like we thought. Apparently, the town is barricading themselves in."

"Now why the hell would they do a stupid thing like that?"

"Hold on, I'm not finished yet. Remember that incident about two years ago with the Alchemists who were working with the Plants and the oil to make that crazy tower with the machine that they thought would transport them to another planet? You know, when the Dark Ages first started?"

"Oh, that stupid teleportation device? What was it called?" The middle-aged man pondered for a moment. "I remember, it was the Crystal Processor, because they used the oil and the Plants' energy to turn some stupid mechanism into crystal in hopes that the crystal itself would have some sort of power to beam them to another planet. I don't know the details very well myself."

"Yes, the abandoned tower is located about 250 iles off the coast of October."

"Oh yes that's right." The gruff man nodded. 

"Yeah, and remember that the machine failed?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well, those incompetent worms are at it again." The hooded man straightened as he spoke.

"This will be very interesting to hear. What are they planning now?" The gruff man shifted in his chair.

"They've made an underground laboratory beneath the city of Granus and the Alchemists are working on something to stop the Dark Ages."

"How incomprehensible is that!? No one can stop the Dark Ages! It's a prophecy that has been foretold by the Head Priest of the Holy City of Mordeh on the Eastern Continent. What have they got planned?"

"Unfortunately, I couldn't get the specifics myself, but I'm surmising that it's the start of another tower in the Far East." The hooded man responded.

"Well that's not very helpful."

"However, I did learn the whereabouts of the next project."

"Oh? You should have just said that in the first place."

"Roklen City," The hooded man smiled. "Next month, first Tuesday, at the brink of dawn."

"Damn…How far is that from here?"

"Almost 3,000 iles."

"THAT far out into the boonies?"

"I'm not too worried about learning the contents of the project itself. If we just send the guys out to blow the thing up, they won't be able to continue with the project. And…" The hooded figure leaned closer to the older man's ear. "we can begin the war with Granus. Just like you wanted…" The hooded man stood up straight, folding his arms neatly over his chest. "I still don't understand why you want to start the war with Granus. I mean, what did they do to you that was so atrocious that you've been planning a vendetta against them for almost four years now?"

The gruff man seemed to be caught off guard by that question. "You're not in a position to ask me that," The gruff man said harshly. "I give you orders and it is your job to obey them."

The hooded man stepped backwards.

"…Sorry, I didn't mean to yell." The gruff man looked up at the mysterious hooded man. "I can't tell you right now, but I promise I will soon enough."

"Sounds pretty vicious."

"We are the Mafia from Hell, we do what we must. I started this damn clan for a reason. I can't tell you right now, but I'll let you know this, your grandfather would agree with me right now."

The hooded man looked up, startled.

"Just what would you know about my grandfather!?"

"I know everything about your family, even about that twin sister of yours that was sold off to the family in Lewiston."

A tiny gasp emerged the hooded man's mouth.

"My…sister?"

"You understand, your sister was sold from Augusta, where your family settlement used to be. It was because your parents never wanted a daughter and so they sold her at an auction one day. You only remained with them because you were a boy. A boy who would one day serve me."

Chills were sent up the hooded man's spine.

"So this was a planned destiny?"

"But it's not all bad is it?" The man took one last puff from his cigar before discarding it into the ashtray below.

"I don't understand. My parents never said anything about having a daughter."

"Why would they? Isn't that why they disposed of her in the first place?"

The hooded man stayed silent.

"I'm sorry about your family's agenda, but they're dead now, aren't they?"

"That's because you killed them!" The hooded man raged in fury and unleashed a large black .44 in his right hand. His breath became heavy as he aimed the barrel at the man before him. Sweat poured from the tip of his nose and brushed lightly over his lips, leaving behind a salty taste.

"You're going to kill me?"

The hand that held the gun became unsteady.

"You know I killed them to save you. Weren't you desperate inside? You know that if I hadn't killed them, you would've. Why put the burden of such a horrible murder on a twelve-year old boy? I did it for you." The gruff man looked up, smiling. "You know I'm telling you the truth."

Grunting, the hooded man withdrew his gun from the gruff man's head and placed it back into its holster. He turned and began to walk towards the door.

"I want you to find out what Granus is planning." The gruff man ordered. "And, if any interesting information comes your way, be sure to jot it down. We don't want anything going on behind the Mafia's back. Anything, and everything, you hear me? Even if you have to team up with the enemy." The hooded man did not slow down. He reached out and turned the doorknob.

"Demonte," The hooded man stopped at the sound of his name. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, all right?" Silence surrounded the room, and in a moment, the man called 'Demonte' had vanished from the room.

The gruff man chuckled and stroked the fur of a black cat that had managed to crawl into his lap. "Oh Demonte, don't let me down. I wouldn't want to bring your sister into this mess."

At the opposite end of town, a woman dressed in a long black velvet gown with a hood shuddered against the wind and continued down the dirt road, her suede boots clanking hard against the ground.

A shadow shifted uneasily in the darkness.

She stopped and turned, shielding her eyes from the oncoming gust of wind. Someone was there; she could sense it. Licking her lips, she could feel that this spirit had hostile intentions. The young woman snapped her open mouth shut and glanced all behind her. If she could duck into an open store, she would've considered it. However, no one would open their doors at this hour to a cloaked woman. She knew it. 

She had no choice but to take extra precaution and continue down the road. Her small run-down dome lay up ahead. She only hoped that she could make it. Warm breath began to nuzzle her neck, as though the culprit himself was right behind her. She quickened her walk to a jog, but still the breathing commenced. 

Her heart raced and she quickly turned into an alley where she hoped to lose the movement that lurked behind her. But it only increased. Unexpectedly, a large, warm object collided into her and her back greeted the ground all too suddenly. Her lungs exploded with a hot fire as the wind escaped her body. She stared up into the stormy sky, until a shadow loomed over her.

"Hey bitch," Came a cool voice.

She immediately struggled to her feet, but was slammed back to the ground by a large hand. Her hood fell backwards, exposing her facial features. Her blonde bun had come undone, leaving her hair mattered as it lay about her. Her breathing intensified as two large hands enclosed her shoulders.

"Guess it's my lucky night after all," A set of pearly teeth glowed in the night as the man's hands slid from the woman's shoulders to the tops of her breasts. Sensing the man's distraction, the woman slowly brought her knee up and thrust it into his crotch.

"DAMMIT!" The man wailed as he crumpled to the ground next to the woman. She jumped up, her hood flailing backwards as she took off running down the street until two more large hands grabbed her around the waist and sent her sailing back to the hard ground.

The woman looked up and watched as twenty dark shadows closed the gap around her. She was trapped.

"Celestia Androke," A man hissed. "We've been looking for you for quite some time. You sure are a sneaky bitch."

The woman called 'Celestia' grunted, but her face did not ease. She continued to stare at her attackers with determination and rage.

"What do you want from me!?" She spat at them.

"Don't play stupid, you already know."

It was true, she did.

"You owe us a debt," Another silhouette spoke. "In case you've forgotten, we're the ones who even set you UP in this damn town.

"So," Celestia's eyes narrowed, "The insurance agency sent you after me…"

"It's been three months and you haven't paid us! You know how scarce money is nowadays." The leader spoke up again. "But it doesn't matter if you have the money or not now. We're here on different terms. Screw the agency. We'll kill you and take whatever valuables you have on ya."

"Well, you certainly know how to show great hospitality." Celestia shifted her weight to her arms so that she could sit upright.

"Shut up," The leader withdrew a revolver from his coat and aimed it at the woman's chest. "I've always wanted to see a gypsy bleed…You can predict the fate of others but never your own. Stupid woman."

Celestia let out a small gasp and braced herself for the oncoming bullet as the leader laughed and tightened his index finger on the trigger. Then a shot rang out, but not the one intended for Celestia. She slowly looked up and watched as the tall man crashed to the ground, the death resounding in the night.

The posse turned their backs from the woman to the shadow in the midst of the night. The cloaked figure advanced forward, the wind ruffling his cloak. His steel-toed boots clicked with every step. Then a different click was heard—the sound of a reloading gun.

"You killed the boss!" One man screamed.

"Who the hell are you!?" Another voice demanded.

But the figure did not speak. Instead he aimed the gun at another henchman and pulled the trigger, shattering the man's heart into pieces as the bullet ripped through the back of the man's shirt. The men gasped and quaked with fear. The posse withdrew the guns from their coats in unison and soon eighteen revolvers were aimed at the cloaked figure.

"You asshole! You'll pay!" A man gritted his teeth and pulled on the trigger of his gun. Smoke poured from the end of the gun and it was to be fate that the silhouette was dead, but when the men looked up, only a gust of wind fell about the road.

"Where did he go?" Another man asked his comrades. Celestia sat in the middle of the circle, shaking with fear. This man, she was getting strong vibes from this man. But she couldn't see his face in her thoughts. He only remained clouded.

Another shot rang out and one more man collapsed to the ground, dead. Jerking their heads around once again, the cloaked man was found to be crouching from the top of an abandoned house. From under his hood, two red eyes glowered down at the crowd and he put his gun back into his holster.

"Good, he's giving up," A man said enthusiastically. "Shoot him!"

But the hooded man only sneered as he held an arm outstretched before him, as though he was shielding himself. A dark aura swirled around his arm and electrical sparks enclosed in on his fingertips.

"What…what the…?" A man gazed in disbelief.

Then with a close of the fist, a wave of darkness streamed from the cloaked man's hand and consumed the hoard of men below. Each and every man fell to the ground; their bodies charred so horribly that the whites of the bone began to show through.

Celestia gasped and looked up at her savior. Faint gun smoke loomed in the air, as did the smell of burnt flesh.

"How could you do that!?" She screamed at the cloaked figure as he jumped ever so delicately to the ground below. He looked at her and rubbed the arm that the electrical beam had once surrounded.

"What are you talking about?" He said irritably, "I just saved your life."

"You didn't have to kill them all!" She argued.

"If I hadn't, they would've killed us both."

Celestia bit her tongue. "Still, it wasn't right."

"Fine, save your own ass next time." The cloaked man turned and trudged down the street.

"W-Wait!" Celestia ran to catch up with the man. "Thank you for saving me anyway…"

The hooded man chose to say nothing and Celestia feared that he hadn't heard her.

"What's your name?" Celestia inquired.

"My name is unimportant." The man answered.

"You're not making this any easier, are you?" Celestia said forcefully.

"Don't you have somewhere to go instead of following me?"

Celestia jumped in front of the man abruptly and grabbed his shoulders. At first the hooded man was taken aback, but then he quickly removed himself from the woman's grip.

"Demonte!" She called after his retreating form. He stopped. Words were not even enough to explain his reaction to this sudden turn of events. Instead, he turned and faced this woman who had called out to him.

"Do I know you?" Demonte asked.

"No," Celestia plodded towards the man. "But I know you."

Demonte quickly reached for his gun and pointed the barrel at the woman.

"Stay back," He warned.

"You're not going to shoot me." She smiled. "You may act like a hotshot, but you won't shoot me."

"Don't tell me what I am and am not capable of!" He spat. "Who the hell are you!?"

"I'm Celestia Androke, and you're Demonte…?"

Demonte seemed hesitant to answer. "Kalabis, Demonte Kalabis."

"Hmmm, I like that name," Celestia smiled. "It sounds so dark and mysterious."

"Now that I've introduced myself, I would appreciate the honor of knowing how you know who I am."

"Well…" Celestia bit her lower lip and then slowly brought her gaze back to Demonte. "You're in Hell's Mafia?"

_She's on a roll_, Demonte said to himself.

"How…have you been…" Of all the worst possible thoughts. "SPYING on me!?"

"Oh no!" She defended. "I didn't even know you until tonight!"

"Then how do you know all of those things!?"

"Like how I know that you possess Forbidden Magicks? Those WERE what you used on those guys that were hounding me back there, right?"

Demonte lowered his gun and began to back away.

"This is too real, how do you know all of this? If you're not stalking me, then you're…" Then Demonte understood. "…a mind reader…"

"Well…yeah, I guess you could say that…"

Demonte shook his head. "I have to ask a favor of you. Forget all that you've read about me. You have to understand the situation I'm in. If anyone finds out who I am then I'll be assassinated by 'them'!" Demonte turned and continued to walk away.

"H-Hey! You're going to leave me here!?"

"You'll be okay," Demonte reassured, but didn't stop. "They'll leave you alone."

"You really are an idiot aren't you? They'll continue to pursue me even after what you did. Actually, maybe even more so after that little incident. They'll think that 'I' was the one who killed all of those guys!"

"Tough luck."

Celestia clenched her fists and tightened her back.

"You hear me and then you don't! What's the matter with you anyway!?"

"What do you want from me?"

"TAKE me WITH you!"

Demonte almost died from all of the laughter.

"Take you WITH me!? Now YOU'RE the one who isn't listening! I'm in a Mafia, a very DANGEROUS Mafia! Do you know the Hell you'd stir up if you joined me!?"

Then Celestia smiled. Blackmail.

"If you don't let me come with you, then I'll report you."

"Huh?" Demonte turned around.

"I'll tell everyone how you're associated with the Hell's Mafia and how you possess Forbidden Magicks and how you're planning to undermine the Alchemists in Granus!"

Demonte quickly grew paranoid, but didn't let on.

"Yeah, like they're really gonna believe you!"

"You forget that I'm a psychic. I can do anything I want. All I have to do is send them down to your Boss over at the other end of town." Celestia narrowed her eyes. "You just got paid $$300,000 for finding out Granus' intentions. Your sand steamer broke down in the last town you were at and you walked here."

Demonte could feel an ulcer coming on.

"Your family was murdered by that man who lives here and he mentioned something about your missing sister, whom was sold off at birth! And…!"

"All right!" Demonte interrupted. "You can come along with me. But ONLY for a little while, you understand!?"

Celestia beamed and clapped her small hands together.

"Thank you!" She smiled and tugged at Demonte's cloak. She quickly stuffed her hair behind her head and pulled up on her own hood.

"Geez, I should have known not to walk down THIS particular road." He looked over at her. "Just be glad that I didn't shoot you, okay?"

"You wouldn't have shot me anyway."

He grumbled. She was a sharp one.

***

Sorry if the first chapter was a bit boring, or not what you expected. Just introducing some pretty major characters in the course of the story. Just wait a few more chapters and you will all be a little bit happier. In the meantime, absorb all of the information you can from this chapter for further reference. It will make things a bit easier, I assure you. It's doing wonders for me. ^_^

Hope you like the story thus far, as I am always working hard to improve it. Comments, questions, and critiques are always welcome! See you all again next Monday.

BLD


	3. Geranium Petals

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Celestia, Demonte, and the Mafia (so far). Trigun and its contents belong to Yasuhiro Nightow.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Two

Geranium Petals

__

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."

-Author Unknown

On the outskirts of town, Demonte found a secluded cave and motioned Celestia out of the storm.

"A cave? Why didn't we just get a hotel room?" She looked at her companion as she removed her hood.

"Isn't it obvious? That's because I'm in the Mafia, remember? People are hunting me. And besides, do you really think we have the money to pay for a hotel room? We're in the middle of the Dark Ages here." Celestia bowed her head as Demonte pulled out a flashlight and lit the cave walls. "Even my own money has to go somewhere. It's not just for vacation you know."

"Yeah, I know that."

"Hey, you're the one who insisted on coming with me."

"That's only because I'm a wanted criminal too! They'll shoot me dead if they ever found me!"

Demonte laughed. "So what did you do to get them so pissed off?"

"Well," Celestia looked around for dry sticks to use for a fire. "I kinda bribed the Insurance Agency to let me slide for a little while on some things that came due. So, payday came and went, except they went unpaid. Things kinda escalated from bad to worse when the Boss said that he'd let me go off completely if I spent the night with him."

"And?"

Celestia looked up at Demonte, angrily. "I told him to screw off! Hey, I'm only twenty-five okay? I'm not gonna sleep with some guy twice my age."

"I'll take it that he didn't like that," Demonte couldn't help but let out a few stifled hiccups.

"Just what is so funny!? Hey, I was scared after that, you know. I'd get these weird letters in the mail and these people that would always stalk my house!" Celestia sighed and turned to build a fire in the middle of the cave. "It's not easy being a psychic. Not only do you have the stuff that's going on outside, but on the inside is even worse. I was so paranoid you would've thought I was insane."

"So you joined me?"

"Of course! After their Boss finds out what happened to his posse, he'll be after me like a bounty hunter to an outlaw. But you know," She smiled as her gaze diverted to his hidden face. "You seem like you live a lonely life. I suppose that's another reason I couldn't let you go off alone."

"I'm used to it."

"Yeah right. Don't give me that anti-social, tough guy crap. I get enough of that as it is."

"And just what would you know about tough guys?"

"Plenty more than you." She remarked. "My father was one. And not the one who acts tough to protect something he loves either."

"Oh, I see." Demonte chuckled.

"Idiot," She muttered and continued to stack the sticks for the fire. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not following because I like you or anything…"

"Oh…?"

"Yeah, I need the protection of someone like you. Especially after what happened back in December."

"Oh, so now I'm a bodyguard?"

"In a nutshell."

"So I'm getting paid?"

"Well, since I'm flat out broke, let's make a deal."

"Shoot."

"If you act as my bodyguard until I get as far as November City, I'll help you with your hunt for Granus."

"How?"

"Don't be stupid, I'm a mind reader after all."

Demonte flicked the tip of his chin. "You've got a point."

Finally, smoke emerged from the bark of the sticks and Celestia blew into it. After the fire had advanced to a reasonable height, Celestia wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed happily. She slammed the palms of her hands on her thighs and turned to look up at her companion. 

"Well? Do we have a deal?" Celestia held out her hand and Demonte took it lightly.

Pumping her arm a few times, Demonte nodded. "All right, you help me get any information I need, and I'll take you to November City, is that fine with you?"

"Absolutely." She smiled as she shifted her position and motioned Demonte to sit beside her. "Hey, come on, take off that hood of yours Dem. I wanna see the face of my ace gunman here."

She reached for his hood, but he swatted her hand away.

"Not right now, I don't want anyone to see my face."

"Huh?" She blinked, laughed, and sobered up. "What are you ugly or something? I'll bet you have a big boil on the side of your face. Or a pimple." She again reached for his hood and was once again welcomed by Demonte's swatting hand.

"Leave it alone," He warned.

"All right, all right," Celestia sighed, disappointed. "Geez, you're no fun." She turned back towards the fire and took out the barrette on the back of her head, leaving her goldenrod hair to fall about her shoulders and a little past that. Smoothing out her black velvet dress, Celestia bit her lip as she prepared to ask Demonte another question.

"Hey, Dem,"

"Don't call me that."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"N—"

"Why exactly are you in a Mafia such as Hell's Mafia?"

He sighed, wishing that she had given him a chance to deny her question. However, since it was asked, he felt that he had no choice but to answer.

"I thought you knew that."

"I do…kinda…but I want to hear it from you."

"Kinda?"

"I can't exactly see what you're thinking, only feel it."

Well, that was comforting to know.

"Well," He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He most certainly did not like bringing up the past.

"And don't lie to me either. I'll know if you're lying."

"You know it's rather uncomfortable for a person that I hardly know to know all about me, my life, career, and family."

"Sorry," She said. "But would you at least answer my question?"

"A lot of choice I have."

"Please?"

"Like I said, I have no choice." Demonte sighed and scooted himself closer to the fire. Celestia did the same. "When I was born, my parents, Eric and Jennae Kalabis were millionaires. They also had four other children besides my 'supposed' twin sister and myself."

"The Kalabis Family…I've always heard that they liked to stay concealed, so not much was known about them. What were your siblings' names?"

Demonte looked towards the ground. "Cassidy, Joel, Lindsay, and Mark. My brothers…and sisters…"

"What about your twin?"

"I never even knew that I had a twin sister until tonight. My Boss had mentioned the subject to me after we had gotten into a bit of an argument. Anyway, my family had bought land in Augusta and they had a wealthy estate growing prosperously from it. I was the youngest of my siblings and so they would inherit all of the money. None of it was ever intended for me or my sister either, I suppose."

"But why?"

"Because I was the youngest. I was the most ignored, and I was a 'mistake'. I'll admit, I hated my family, even my brothers and sisters whom treated me the same way my parents did. They never even told me that I had a twin sister because they sold her at market one day. My Boss said that it was because my family never wanted a girl, but I don't see how that was possible because there were two other girls in my family."

"Perhaps, it was…something else that the girl had." Celestia suggested.

"Maybe, but he said that she was sold off to another family from Lewiston City and she was never heard from again. My family was associated with this man named…"

"…Charles Franklin Rohgsworn, leader of the Hell's Mafia."

Demonte looked at her in disbelief. "That's right, but how…" Then he remembered her special talent. "Nevermind. Anyway, he was supposedly the accountant for my family's money, AND the undercover Mafia Leader. When I turned twelve, Rohgsworn killed my family. He shot them all with his stainless steel revolver…custom made by my OWN father…" Demonte's eyes became locked onto the fire. "Sure, I had had my own thoughts of vengeance about my family and their cruelty towards me, but that was something that I had learned to keep to myself. But when I came home that day…"

Demonte felt himself break off.

__

"Mom, dad! I'm home!"

Blood. Dripping from the bathtub.

Drip…

Drip…

Drip…

In the master bedroom, his father's body, blood soaking the silky sheets of his parents' bed. Perfect round black circles all in his father's body, mainly near the chest. The expression on his father's blue face…

…Why was the boy shaking?

Mother, hanging in the bathtub with a leather belt around the collar of her neck, like a noose of a sort. Her dark brown hair mattered all around her face; he couldn't even see his own mother's expression.

All he could see was the blue nightgown draped loosely around his mother. Blood smeared the front of her chest down to her crotch. Crimson…rich…and thick… 

Drip…

Drip…

Drip…

Cassidy, Mark, Lindsay, Joel…

Where were they?

Mark and Joel were sprawled out across their beds, facedown, as if they were asleep. He would have believed it to be so, if he had not had eyed the dark pool that his two brothers had been swimming in. The clock still ticked in their room, as though nothing had changed. But they were dead, and the boy knew it.

Cassidy…Lindsay…

Cassidy lie facedown on her vanity, fresh blood smudged across the mirror. Was that a handprint? The same dark holes that he had found on his mother, father, and two brothers were on his sisters as well. Blood streaked the back of Cassidy's white low-cut shirt. As he turned, he saw Lindsay's body shoved into a closet, blood sliding across the marble floor. The blood, the blood was advancing towards him, like it was going to devour him like it did mother and father and his brothers and sisters! 

Screaming, he teetered and dashed out of the room, tripping over the living room carpet and greeted the ground all too abruptly. He lay there, and whimpered. Then warm liquid dropped onto the back of his neck, making the small hairs on his neck stand on end. He slowly looked up and a dark drop splattered on the tip of his nose.

Holding his head up, he met the deadly eyes of Charles Franklin Rohgsworn, and stared down his lethal revolver. The boy had remembered the apprehension in that face. It looked almost as though Rohgsworn had intended on killing him too. But instead, he wiped the trail of blood from the tip of the boy's nose and patted the boy's small head. The child saw the patches of fresh, dark blood on Rohgsworn's white business suit.

"Demonte Kalabis, from now on, you will ask no questions and you will forget everything you've seen today. You are my son from now on."

"Hey, HEY! Dem!" Celestia shook Demonte by the shoulders. "Hey what's the matter with you? One minute you're talking, the next you stop mid-sentence and drift off into Nowhere's Land."

Demonte had barely escaped that dream, if it hadn't been for Celestia's constant nagging. He shook himself from the nightmare and looked at Celestia. He was almost thankful that she had pulled him out when she did.

"I'm sorry, you didn't by chance…see anything…when you were reading my mind, did you?"

"Not in particular. I can only hear your thoughts, I can't see your visions."

"Oh, well…"

"Why, what did I miss?"

"Nothing," He said quickly, wanting to close off the subject for good.

A hiatus in the conversation for a brief moment and then…

"Well?" Celestia asked impatiently.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to finish what you were going to say?"

"Oh yes, well when I came home that day, I found all of my parents murdered and Charles at the scene. He took me in as his own, and I've been in the Mafia ever since."

Celestia pulled her knees to her chest and placed her chin on top of her kneecaps. "Boy, wandering around at the age of twelve, working for thugs like them?"

"It was all that I knew. I was twelve."

"What happened after that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, how did you get those Forbidden Magicks and everything?"

"Huh? I thought that you were a mind reader."

She glared at him. "You're a moron. I've told you this before. I may be a psychic but I'm not omnipotent, dammit." Thank God. "I can't see your visions, only hear them. AND I can only read your mind with what's on it at the time. I knew about your Mafia problem and your family problem because that's what you were thinking about at the time. But other than that, I don't know anything about you unless I'm reading your mind as you think about something." Well that was a relief. Then that meant that she didn't know about the Ohio Ru—

"So you don't know anything other than that?"

"No."

Good, he'd have to keep it that way. If he kept his thoughts more closed when she was around, she wouldn't be able to read them at all. He quickly changed the subject.

"Well after that, there was that mysterious beam over in Volman. Vash the Stampede disappeared and so did our peaceful days. There hasn't been a blue sky since then."

"Everyone…" Demonte turned to look at the blonde girl next to him. "…thinks that the end of the world is near. I mean, from the beginning of the existence on this planet, the legend of Vash the Stampede has always just 'been'."

"Can you blame him for everything?" Demonte felt himself ask.

"Well," Celestia looked around the cave walls. "…No." Well at least she wasn't as narrow-minded as most people. Even Demonte had wondered about the Legendary Gunman. He had never met him and doubt that he ever would, especially now that he had disappeared.

"It's hard to think that a man that strong would just curl up and die." Demonte said thoughtfully. "I mean, he's been around for over one-hundred and thirty years and just all of a sudden, he dies? Just who the hell are they blaming for this catastrophe anyway? We've been held up in his Hell hole for four years now, just who are they blaming?"

"Maybe," Celestia twiddled her thumbs. "Maybe we should just let the Alchemists continue their research and find a way to get off of this planet. Why are we out to destroy them anyway?"

"…I don't know. Charles wouldn't explain."

"Maybe…he's afraid of getting off this planet. Here, he has control. While everyone is starving to death in the Dark Ages, he's just kicking back and swindling money." Celestia suddenly became outraged, as though Rohgsworn were in the room right at that moment. "It's not fair! He should—"

"Enough of that!" Demonte snapped. "We are in no position to question him. He says that what he is doing is right. And besides, his selfishness is what keeps food on MY table. I have no choice but to obey him. I can't break free; it's too late." Demonte lowered his head, chewing on his bottom lip. "I'm twenty-eight years old, I can't break free now." He repeated.

Celestia felt the space next to her become vacant as Demonte arose and settled down in the far corner of the room, sprawling across the cave floor, his back to the cold ground. Rolling over, his back becoming opposite of his partner, Demonte only bid her goodnight and drifted off to sleep.

"But you still never answered my question!" Celestia protested.

"Hmmm? And what was that?" He asked groggily.

"How did you come to acquire such powerful Forbidden Magicks?"

"I'll tell you later," He waved her off. "I'd ask you about your past, but unlike you, I don't care."

Celestia frowned and leaned forward, trying to concentrate her thoughts onto his mind. But to her surprise, he had built walls, meant to keep her out. Shivering, Celestia shifted herself comfortably on the cave floor, next to the fire, and curled herself into a ball.

"Where are we going tomorrow, fearless leader?"

"Dankin Town," Demonte yawned. "So shut up and go to sleep. I'm waking you up at the crack of dawn tomorrow."

"What!?" Celestia blinked. "What the hell for!?"

"I have to meet with another of my subordinates there."

Celestia sighed sadly. "Does this have to do with Granus?"

"You know that it does."

"All right," Another sigh.

Demonte shut his eyes, tuning himself out of the noise in the background. He was extremely sleep deprived, especially after the sand steamer had crashed and he had found himself walking all the way to December.

However, the sandman had no intended mercy on Demonte,

as his dreams were brutal all night long.

****

La, la, la, la…

__

Singing? Was that mother?

"Demonte, a world full of beauty and grass and trees. It's just waiting for us!"

Wait, not HIS mother…

Just, another woman, from his memories…

Long black hair, white shirt, faded blue jeans that fig snugly around her thin figure, red petals swimming in the sky…

What was her name again?

It was just on the tip of his tongue…Or was it…?

La, la, la, la…

All that he had knew…was that she disappeared…and he had never seen her again…

Re…

Wait. Someone was pulling on him. Soft hands caressing his face, running long fingertips through his black hair. It was the first time that someone had touched him so gently in…how many years?

Demonte's hand jerked up and snatched the moving hand from exploring his facial features any further. Opening his eyes fiercely, Demonte gazed up at the woman towering over him. In his hand, he had captured her silky warm hand. He growled as Celestia shrunk in fear.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

"I…It's daybreak…" Celestia said meekly. "I was only trying to wake you…"

Then Demonte's heart raced in panic. She had removed the hood from his face. He pushed her off of him and looked at Celestia, mouth agape. She stared at his face, shocked. A handsome face was hidden beneath that hood, with tinted purple eyes and raven hair that fell about his face, even into his eyes. Along the side of his cheek was a Band-Aid, meant for whatever kind of injury that had been engraved there.

"You…you look like…" Celestia began. Demonte quickly pulled the hood over his eyes and scrambled to his feet. "…that boy from…" 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Demonte interrupted and hastily made his way to the mouth of the cave. "Let's go."

"But Dem…!"

"Be quiet and just follow, all right?"

Celestia held her hand up in protest, as though she had planned on saying something more, but bit her tongue and just followed a few steps away from her male companion. Demonte held a hand up to the side of his face and fingered the Band-Aid. His spine grew chilled as he touched the soft fabric. Unfavorable memories were held within the torn flesh under that piece of fabric.

Well? Getting any better? Oh! I must say that the next chapter will prove better. Familiar faces return, but it is up to you to distinguish them. Take care! Oh and I know that I said that I would post the next chapter on Monday. But… ^_^ I lied. I just wanted to get on with the story so yeah. I'll post the next one soon. R&R please!

BLD


	4. Reunions And Encounters On The Dark Path

Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun, just my main characters. I think that you guys know that up to this point.

A/N: By the way, we'll be getting off the introduction shortly and into the open. Meaning…yup, Trigun characters are coming back into action! BWAHAHA! Spe–AKING of which, two of them are in this story. Can you tell which ones they are? (Well of COURSE you should be able to identify the first person shortly, but…) Yeah, I know. Too much talking in the first few chapters. And I'll admit that there's still a little bit left. But let's put that behind us and look at the rest of the facts, shall we? ^_^

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Three

Reunions And Encounters On The Dark Path

__

"The name 'Humans' is only a branded name meant to categorize all of the human race. What we are, are individuals, given our own personal wills that aren't categorized into one, but differ from many. It is our choice to be the human, or to be the individual."

-Author Unknown 

Two gloved fingers drummed against the wooden counter, impatiently. Behind a pair of yellow tinted glasses, two stern eyes, gleaming with a light sea-green color, observed the bar in silence. A black cloak was draped around the stranger's shoulders, although it remained open, exposing a red coat with many buttons down the middle. His goldenrod hair stood on end, but black hair protruded from the back, giving his hair two different colors.

The bar used to be so much more alive with volume and laughing eyes of those who were having a good time, he recalled. Even his own eyes used to sparkle with laughter like that. Yes, he could remember that. Suddenly, his eyes diverted to an open window that led to the dark world outside. The sky remained gray and the air so desolate that it left a bitter streak behind. If the people had despised this planet before, it must be Hell for all of them now.

"Sir, are you still here?" The stranger turned his face to the bartender standing behind the counter. "I've already told you, we haven't had beer since this crisis began. It's amazing that we're still open, but I suppose that this place is more like a haven for lost folk like yourself, no offense or anything…"

"None taken," The stranger replied. "But what's the point of going out there, do you think? The suns don't even appear in the sky anymore. How long has it been since you've seen a blue sky?"

The bartender peered outside. "It's too damn hard to tell. There's always fog out there. I can't even see what's two feet in front of my face much less a hundred feet."

"Hmph, good point." The stranger laughed and stretched. "But I guess that you're right. It's about time that I be getting back on the road anyhow." As the stranger turned to leave, the abrupt sound of the bartender's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Tell me stranger," The bartender leaned closer. "Just what kind of job does a guy like you have out in a place like that?"

"My job is to stay alive if I can." The stranger smiled. "These are hard times."

The bartender nodded his head and cleared his throat. "Well, it certainly hasn't gotten any better since that Vash the Stampede fellow disappeared four years ago."

"Yeah," The stranger used an index finger to push his glasses back onto his nose. Was that a twinge of pain in this stranger's voice? "I'll bet that knowing that he's gone makes the people relax even more."

"Well I wouldn't know," The bartender said. "Although I knew what that guy was all about, I don't think I would've minded meeting him. I'm like that, you know. People say I'll wind up getting myself killed, going after dangerous crap like that, but I've always wanted to get out and see the world," The bartender scratched his unshaven chin as he continued to stare out his window. "Course, guess that that's not going to happen anytime soon. Oh well, maybe in the next life." And he went back to cleaning dishes.

The stranger sighed and turned to the doors. The next life? When would that be? 

A voluminous diversion in the streets caught the blonde stranger's attention as a large crowd of people circled around a young woman and a man in a dark cloak, his face hidden by the loose cloth over his head.

"Hey, watch where the hell you're going!" The cloaked man shouted at a passer in the street as he covered the young girl with his body.

"You want to start something, asshole!?" The man the duo had apparently bumped into trudged closer, cutting in between the space between the cloaked man and himself. Withdrawing a .44 from inside of his cloak, the hooded man shoved the barrel into the man's gut.

"Yeah," He seethed. "I do."

"Dem, let's just go, please?" The woman next to the cloaked man tugged on his arm as she tried her best to reason with him. "It was an accident. It was more of my fault for bumping into him anyway."

But the man called, 'Dem' would not listen as his hostile demeanor continued.

"Listen you stupid bastard," Dem hissed. "When people are walking in the road, you're supposed to watch WHERE you're walking so that you DON'T run into them, all right?"

"Dem stop it!" The girl tugged harder on Dem's unmoving arm. The tension in his muscles did not slacken, but instead tightened, as did the finger on the trigger.

The taller man looked down upon Dem, not knowing what to expect. The man's arms shook as anticipation swarmed his body.

"Wait," The blonde stranger cut into the middle of the circle and put a gloved hand on Dem's gun. "You don't want to shoot him, Mister. It was an honest mistake. Please, don't act so hastily."

"Then," Dem paused. "I should shoot you!" Dem turned sharply, sending his gun into the blonde stranger's chest. "Stay out of it, buster. This man owes us an apology."

"Dem it was MY fault!" The woman cried. "Stop this madness!"

The blonde stranger slowly held his hands up. "You'd better listen to the woman, Mister. This can be resolved without the use of a gun." 

"Dem…" The woman reached for the gun.

"Dammit Celestia," Dem shook Celestia's hand from the gun. "Stay out of this!"

"But it was an honest mistake," She said, her eyes concerned and frightened. "Please, let's just get to where we need to go, all right?"

Dem finally assented to his companion's pleas and dropped the gun. He chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. "Let's go Celestia."

Sighing with relief, Celestia trotted after her moving partner, leaving the crowd behind. The blonde stranger watched as they disappeared from view, and then a shiver was sent up his spine. He could sense that cloaked man's vibes. He knew that he remembered him from somewhere…a long time ago.

Refocusing his thoughts back onto what he had planned of doing before the fight had caught his attention, the red stranger padded the opposite way the duo had gone, hoping to find another saloon with at least some alcohol to offer.

"Demonte you didn't have to go and cause such a huge scene dammit!" Celestia shouted, following only a few steps behind her companion. "I already told you that it was my fault!"

"And now it's over with." Her partner responded.

"It WOULDN'T have been if that gentleman hadn't stopped you! I could feel it within you. You were going to shoot that man!"

"Well maybe he deserved it."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Nevermind, I'm not getting through to you." Silence. "Where are we going now?"

"Ever heard of 'Cliff Schzzarre'? He's Rohgsworn's best partner in business. Couple of years ago, he was busted for monopolizing the water for selfish reasons by a sheriff named 'Marianne'.

"Wow, I mean sure I've heard about it, but I never knew why."

"I thought you were a psychic."

"I read minds, not the future, Dem. Anyway, what kind of business do we have with this 'Schzzarre' guy? I could've sworn that he would've been locked away for his crimes or something."

"Rohgsworn bailed him out. Now he's living here in Dankin, continuing the Mafia's work undercover."

"Well, what an unlawful life."

"Just keep your mouth shut while we're talking to him. This is my business and I need the money he's paying me."

"How much?"

"$$350,000…"

"Damn! No wonder the friggin' world is bankrupt! Hell's Mafia has all of the money on this planet!"

"No, only about 2/3. The Mafia itself makes its earnings by stealing from cities."

"Let me guess, and Granus is your next target."

"Granus is not only working on a way to stop the Dark Ages, but they're bound and determined to keep it a secret, too. That's why they've invented weapons to keep out trespassers like ourselves."

"How?"

"They've perfected the means of making guns that use Forbidden Magicks."

Celestia stifled a gasp. "Are you serious!?"

"What good would lying do me now?"

"Geez, I knew that they were smart, but not that smart!"

"From the information that I've gathered, there's a group of Alchemists, called the Half Eagle."

"Half Eagle?"

"It means five."

"Wow, so there's five Alchemists? What do you plan to do?"

"I'm planning to take all five into custody, hand them over to Rohgsworn, and discard them as the Mafia pleases."

"Well that doesn't sound all too fair."

"This world is give and take. Of course it's not fair." Demonte stopped abruptly in his tracks and peered up into the gray sky. "Don't you understand? Look at this fog. If it weren't for my experience on the Southern Plains, we'd be lost, just like any other poor soul who'd try to venture out here. Just remember, Celestia, why this fog is even here."

"I know, I know. It's tough, so I guess that you DO have a point. But what does Granus have to do with anything with the Mafia?"

"I'm not sure. Rohgsworn has made it clear that he has no intention of telling me until a later notice. However, I can only speculate that this is a result of a business deal, or money."

"Hmmm, yes, money is a good thought. And so is control."

"But it's useless to question that guy about anything. He won't spill anything. That's what makes him an excellent businessman. He doesn't pawn for drugs or any crap like that. He's out for the big bucks, and that, of course, means power as well."

"Hmmm," Celestia pondered. "I wonder if he'd be good at poker then."

Demonte turned his head slightly, feeling almost irritated.

"Who cares how he is at poker?" Demonte sighed and tilted his head off to the side, brushing against his shoulder lightly.

"Well, I was just thinking…"Celestia sighed, finding her words to be as stale as bread. This guy was just lacking a humor bone. "Nevermind," She finally finished. "So what's your business with Cliff?"

"I have some things to drop off, some things that I think may be of some use to him."

"Are you talking about those letters in your pockets?"

"Dammit," Demonte snapped. "Will you just stop reading my mind please? It's so damn irritating."

"Sorry," She rolled her eyes and chewed on her bottom lip. "What do they say anyway?"

"I intercepted these letters in Granus, and I'll tell you, it was no picnic."

"Are they about…"

"The location of the next project and weapons that are being shipped out? That's right. That's why I know where they're meeting and when. My mission is to head out to Roklen City and stop the ongoing project."

"I still think your Boss is full of crap. It would be in everybody's best interest to get the hell off this planet or to stop the Dark Ages. Why is your Boss so adamant about keeping everyone here and having to suffer? If they can stop the Dark Ages, why not let them?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Demonte's eyes strayed ahead on the path. "I just follow orders…that's all."

"So, what exactly are we looking for?"

"To find Schzzarre?"

"Yeah,"

"He's underground," Demonte said dryly. "Cliff wanted to make the exterior of his hideout seem quite small, but the interior itself is extravagant. For being an underground domain, he can see a lot of the outside world. My job for being here is to have him set up some tracking devices out in Roklen so that we can trace Granus and their men."

"Fun," Celestia sighed. "How long will that take?"

"Long enough. Don't worry about time, we need the job done right the first time. But…"

"But what?" Celestia asked.

"I haven't exactly been there in a few years. This was just a spontaneous turn of events that he just came out of the blue and asked me to come by and see him back in Pierce."

"So in other words, you don't remember where his underground location is, am I right?"

"It's not that I don't know WHERE it is, it's just…"

"Here," Celestia grabbed Demonte's arm. "I can peer into your subconscious thoughts and find the location."

"What?" Demonte wasn't too comfortable with someone reading his thoughts, but his brain convinced him that if he kept walls up around the rest of his thoughts, he would be okay. "But I thought that you couldn't see visualized thoughts…"

"Well, not exactly. I can't exactly see them, but I can hear sounds, like what you heard when you last visited him. I use those sounds to trace locations." Demonte's face peered at her, worried. "Stop being so stiff, Dem, I won't read anything else, I promise."

Demonte nodded reluctantly. "All right."

"Okay," Celestia smiled. I want you to concentrate all of your thoughts on when you were last here, even if you can't remember where exactly he lives, I want you to concentrate hard, okay?"

"All right," Demonte closed his eyes and Celestia clasped onto his hand gingerly.

"I hear…" Celestia closed her eyes tightly, and searched through her companion's mind. "A large hole filling with sand and tunnels escaping in different directions under the sandy earth. Hmm…This is odd…"

"What are you hearing?" Demonte asked, still keeping his eyes closed.

"Hey, don't talk," Celestia scolded. "It throws the whole thing off balance if you do."

"Sorry," Demonte muttered.

"I'm visualizing a small gray house from the description I can hear in your mind. The small house wouldn't even be noticeable to a passing traveler; it only looks like an outhouse or something. But I can tell that there is something more to this outhouse…I'm sensing…an entire mansion underground. You didn't tell me that he was so technically advanced…"

_'What?' _Demonte thought to himself. _'Did you honestly think that he was going to remain above ground where he is one of the most wanted criminals alive?'_

"No!" Celestia snapped. "I just didn't think that he'd go to all of the trouble to build a mansion, that's all!"

Demonte was taken aback. Then he remembered her special gift. He knew that he would have to be more careful when saying things to himself.

Celestia remained silent for a few minutes more before nodding and releasing herself from Demonte.

"All right, I know where it is."

"Really? Where?" Demonte was impressed.

"About 20 yarz ahead. It's own coordination should be about 35 degrees North and 50 degrees East. From the sounds and conversations I heard from you and Cliff, all we have to look for is this gray looking outhouse."

"Very funny," Demonte rolled his eyes.

She laughed. "I know. But that's what I got from your thoughts."

"Boy, you can tell all of that just from noises?"

"Cool, huh?" Celestia laughed. "Come on, you pinhead, let's go."

30 iles east of Dankin sat the quiet town of Felnarl, which had been reconstructed some years after the incident with illegal explosives. The streets were bare and desolate, nothing like what they had used to be, bustling and busy.

A woman with short raven hair leaned against the building of the inn she was currently staying in. Her eyes glanced up and down the dirt roads, almost hoping to see a passer coming by. 

But nothing.

The sky darkened and she shivered against the chill of the wind. Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked up into the cloudless stratosphere, which remained foggy and gray. A silent breeze brushed against her hair and her black trench coat.

Her face was obviously dirtied with adventure from the past. It had also aged mildly, showing her late twenty years in her violet eyes. The young woman held a gloved hand to the sky, as though she were waiting to catch a falling object from above.

She bit her lip.

"It's coming…" She whispered, her voice hard and raspy.

All at once, the sky disappeared and Hell struck the town from above.

"Wait, Demonte," Celestia became cemented to the ground as she held out a guarding arm to keep her companion from advancing any further. "The sky…"

Demonte looked up. "You're right. It's become strangely dark."

Celestia jerked her head around and gasped.

"Dem I can feel it! A stampede of black scorpions…coming from the sky!"

Demonte shifted his weight to one leg and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head with disbelief.

"Celestia, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Dammit Demonte!" Celestia lunged forward and grabbed Demonte by the collar of his cloak. "Something bad is going to happen…Something strong…" Celestia turned her head south. "Something so terrible that it might wind up out of control." Without another word, Celestia dashed back the way they had came, leaving Demonte in a state of confusion.

"Celestia!" He called out to her. "Where the hell do you think you're going!?"

"I'm going to Felnarl!" She called over her shoulder, the young silhouette disappearing over the hill.

"Damn," Demonte sighed and started after her. "What about Schzzarre!?" He became reluctant to follow this woman. After all, he was on an important mission. He knew that he didn't have time to be chasing after 'scorpions' as Celestia had called them.

"Forget about him!" Celestia took in a large gulp of air; her heart pounding against her chest as her long legs carried her to Felnarl. "We'll come back later."

"I still don't understand!" Demonte pushed himself harder so that he could catch up to her pace. "Why the hell are we going to Felnarl?"

"I can't explain now," She huffed. "But I swear…you'll find out soon enough."

Demonte forced a chuckle. "Is this one of your psychic readings or something?"

"…Yes…"

"Then I guess I'll have to take your word on it."

Large monsters had infiltrated the town once Celestia and Demonte had arrived. They stared up, as a large serpent towered over them, its tongue rattling like the tail behind it.

"Oh damn," Demonte breathed as his eyes became glued in terror at the black creature. "How the hell did they manage to get so damn big!?"

"The better question is…" Celestia felt her heart stop in her chest. "What are these things?"

The snake tilted its head and then lunged for the duo.

"Run!" Demonte grasped Celestia's arm and pulled her behind a large abandoned building as the snake crashed face-first into the ground, the earth below it erupting and sending dust into the sky.

"Oh man, these things aren't normal!" Demonte watched as a variety of oversized serpents, cockatrice, and dragons tore the town of Felnarl apart. Demonte turned his head away as a candescent blast sent a nearby domicile up into flames.

"Oh, God help us…" Cries of the murdered planet and flares tearing away at the city resounded in Celestia's ears as the Cimmerian sky glowered upon the world.

"Guess you weren't lying after all," Demonte stared down at his female companion and sighed. "Were these the black scorpions you were talking about?" Celestia nodded. "Then I guess that there's no choice…" He arose and reached for his black revolver.

"W-Where are you going?" Celestia watched in horror as the cloaked man emerged into the broad opening.

"It's like you said before," Demonte said, loading his six-shooter hand. "We'll have to take care of them."

"W-Wait!" She called after him as he stepped forward, meeting eye to eye with a large obscure cockatrice, its body blocking his movement.

"Well, well, well," Demonte sneered at the huge beast hovering above him. "Won't this be fun?"

"Demonte no!" Celestia grasped his shoulder, desperate to pull him back, until she felt a cold metal gun rest against her forehead. She held her head up, the cold eyes of her companion surfacing through the darkness within his cloak, as he held his black revolver to her forehead.

"Stay out of this," He commanded her. "No amateurs this time."

Celetia's mouth quivered. A—Amateur? How dare he. HOW dare he…! Her eyes darkened as she turned away from him.

"Fine," She forced through pursed lips. She fled down the street, turning into an open alley, her face burning with rage. How dare he treat her like an…an…AMATEUR! She was much better than that, and she knew it.

Turning her head back to the entrance of the alleyway, Celestia withdrew her Calibre Revolver, the gun holding six shots. So much for an amateur.

Gunfire erupted into the sky as Celestia ducked out of the alley, a giant serpent foreseeing her arrival. Aiming her gun steadily, Celestia pulled the trigger, pounding four lead bullets into its head. She shrieked as it collapsed at her feet, the earth quaking below her.

The giant monsters surged forward, and then retreated as gunfire continued to detonate into the sky. Celestia was amazed. Was Demonte doing this all by himself? But…she knew that he couldn't manage by himself. She had to help him.

Her determination soon fell inadequate as ten cloaked men emerged from both sides of the street and surrounded Celestia, armed with rifles and snipers. Behind them were many of the large monsters that had been performing the assault on the town. Buildings around her were engulfed in flames, and Celestia found nowhere to turn.

"The whole town has evacuated except for that bitch over there," One of the cloaked men nodded towards Celestia. She felt the sweat trail from her face, watching as all guns had been aimed in her near direction. 

"She just came to the wrong place at the wrong time," another raider chuckled as he held his gun stable. "This is gonna be fun."

But Celestia did not give into the intimidating words of the man. Instead, she turned on her opponents and shot a man twice, using up the last of her bullets. She bit her bottom lip. This wasn't good.

"Just lay down and die you bitch!" Another man shouted as he cocked his gun and pulled the trigger. Celestia dodged the first few raging bullets, but as the others began to chime in, she took numerous shots to the legs, arms, and upper torso.

Celestia's mind was racing. She was weak? She was…going to die? Was it really true that psychics couldn't predict their own future? Was she an…amateur? How could Demonte be right? 

Her knees buckled out from under her and her mind told her that her front had already connected with the cold ground. Maybe…it wasn't so bad…dying this way…

Although it was quite faint, Celestia was sure that she could hear gunfire flaring in the background. Then one, two, three men went down. Had Demonte come? Was he really going to see her like this?

Then there were the cries of monsters. This was all happening too fast. And Celestia could do nothing but assent to the darkness that embraced her with warm comfort.

Ahaha! Action at last! Finally, things start heating up. And EVERYONE is coming back. Well, lol, almost. I hope I'm doing well so far. If I'm not, please, let me know. I'm already 20 chapters into this fic, I would like to know if my writing is anything to be desired. Constructive criticism from all you good folks out there! Please. I'm really trying you know. ^_^ '

BLD 


	5. Henai

Disclaimer: Still don't own Trigun.

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Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Four

Henai

__

"To be afraid is a natural human emotion because humans believe that there is something to fear. However, if they look hard enough they will find that there isn't anything to fear. There never was."

-Author Unknown

"Who the hell are you!?" One of the few remaining men turned his aim from Celestia's limp body to the intruder. It was a woman with raven colored hair. Black sunglasses hid the stranger's eyes from the world as she emerged into the open with her own gun, a Taurus Raging Thirty, aimed back at the man who stood her down.

But she answered with no words; instead she pulled the trigger, leaving four holes in the man as they ripped through the back of his shirt. As his carcass hit the ground not a moment later, the woman inserted another round of bullets into her eight-shot revolver.

The five remaining men flinched, but did not give up their ground. Even the dark beasts behind the men were ready to attack if necessary.

"I don't understand what motivates you to commence hostility," A man gritted his teeth. "You're outnumbered. But you're welcome to try and stop us if you'd like."

The woman paused, lowering her gun. Sighing, she shook her head and kept the firearm aimed towards the ground.

"Just no skill," She said bluntly.

A surge of electricity streaked up and down the woman's arm and through her gun. A dark aura of energy engulfed her, blowing her hair back slightly. "Blood Ripper," She murmured, as the wind became violent, lacerating the sky. The illuminance of the blast became too much to bear for her opponents as they shielded their eyes. Tilting her head backwards, her energy unleashed itself from her body. The men could feel its sufficient power as it stirred the planet and fell like a wave onto them. They were hurled backwards and the monsters dissipated into nothing as the surge of lightning desecrated all that had been left. The remaining buildings that had not been purged into flames had been abolished by the dark power unleashed into the sky.

The town stood still, and dead men, along with their monsters, lay mutilated at the base of the old buildings. The woman paused, bringing the Taurus to her chest. Another monster screeched powerfully and the woman spun on her heel. It was, by far, the largest monster she had seen in Felnarl. She recognized it as the legendary three-headed Hellhound, Cerberus. 

The woman held her gun steadily, aiming the Taurus at her foe. She suddenly halted, following its movements with her eyes. Then gunfire rang in her ears. Someone else was here as well?

Hoping that the young girl that had been injured in the attack would remain stable for the time being, the raven-haired woman fled down the street to where the sounds of bullets had been the loudest. Above her, the Cerberus ceased all movement momentarily, and turned its attention towards the animate silhouette in the street.

The woman stalled. The Cerberus had sensed her presence, and she knew it. She kept her breathing minimal, trying not to attract too much suspicion from the large beast. But the Cerberus did not give up so easily. With one huge swipe of his hand, he scooped up the remains of the buildings, searching for his prey. Debris fell from the cracks between his fingers, raining onto the burning buildings below. Then the three heads bickered and fought with each other, obviously debating who was going to get the human if found.

Knowing that sooner or later her resistance would fall with the city's decadence, the woman changed directions and fled down another street. The Cerberus, catching her movement this time, leapt high into the sky and landed behind her. Without hesitation, the beast immediately began to track her footsteps down yet another street. The gunfire had stopped, the woman noticed. She only hoped that the young fighter was all right.

Then her escape route failed her as she became blocked by massive rubble piling up so high, that she thought that it could touch the heavens above. Spinning around, the woman's eyes beheld the Cerberus as it strode forward, its three heads leaning down towards her.

"Damn…" She muttered, and held her gun out towards the Cerberus. Like before, electric currents were sent up and down her arm, engulfing the gun with a lambent power. "Get out of my way," She warned the beast.

But the Cerberus only snarled and bared its large fangs at the woman. She laughed. "Am I supposed to be intimidated by a vicious Hellhound?"

__

"How dare you mock us!" The beast spoke with its mind into hers, its voice raspy and broken. _"You of all people, a wielder of Forbidden Magicks!"_

"These people had nothing to do with this…" She growled back, the aura around her beginning to intensify. "Why are you not at your post?"

__

"We were sent here for the humans of this desert planet. We were told not to leave until every light had been extinguished!"

"Your Master…" The woman tightened the grip on her gun. "Your Master told you to do this?"

__

"Exactly!" The beast cackled hideously. _"We, who are sojourn on this damned planet, are the hunters of the humans who drain the very life from the world! After the humans perish, our Master will be free to mold this planet into our new home!"_

"What makes you think that you'll get that far?" The woman smiled and held the gun above her head. "Game over, guys…" 

A bright light enveloped the city, sending raging fire into all different directions. The Cerberus gazed behind its massive body, the heads in a state of befuddlement, as it was caught by surprise when a heavy storm of flames heaved itself upon the large beast. The uproar of it all was truly magnificent.

The woman looked up, horrified, as the beast collapsed to the ground, smashing the remains of the buildings as the fire continued to devour the Cerberus. She jumped backwards as the flames leapt out at her, her own power dying away from her arm. It howled and twitched, rolling over on its stomach, hoping to expunge the flames. But the flames were strong and the beast was no match for it. Finally, the Cerberus' body fell limp, dead, and the woman continued to watch as the creature was sent up into flames, the charred flesh hanging heavy in the air.

The scenery cleared, and the sky seemed to lighten just a little. Curious as to know who it was that had killed the large beast, the woman gazed over the large body of the once renowned beast and caught a glimpse of a cloaked figure, the hood hanging loosely over his head. A gun was held occupant in his hand, which was smoking from its last encounter. The woman stepped around the beast, her eyes glued onto the man. Demonte merely stared back.

"Was that…you…who did that?" She dared to ask.

He avoided her question. "Where's the woman you saved earlier?"

"So you knew about that…" She looked him over, and realized that he was no ordinary gunman. He was a gunman from an elusive clan. "You can use Forbidden Magicks?" She asked, hoping to get some kind of answer out of him.

"Where's the woman?" He asked again.

She sighed. "The girl you're looking for is down the street. She's injured, although I don't know how bad off she is."

Demonte finally held some emotion to his words. "You didn't check!?" He turned and jogged down the road.

"I was being chased by the Cerberus! If I had stayed in that spot, the beast would've eaten BOTH of us!" She shook her head, exhausted, and started after him. "I was doing it to protect her!" He remained silent. "Would you at LEAST say something?" She asked, irritation seeping into her voice.

Demonte finally stopped at a fork in the road and looked down both streets. He turned back to the mysterious woman and waited for her to catch up to him. "Take me to her."

"If I do," The woman smiled as a window of opportunity opened to her. "then you must tell me who you are."

Demonte grunted. He hated being caught up in situations like these. He hoped that this woman wasn't a psychic who could blackmail him too.

"Fine," He said quickly. "I'll tell you everything you want to know. Now take me to her."

The woman stepped in front of him and took the lead down the left road. Not far down the road, Demonte spotted Celestia, lying face-first on the ground. His pace hastened and he fell to her side, turned her over, and examined her wounds.

"Yeah, she's hurt pretty badly," He said and pulled off his gloves. Holding his fingertips above her chest, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

A hollow white light mesmerized in his hands and floated downward into Celestia's body. The raven-haired woman was bewildered as she watched the luminous power incorporate itself from the cloaked man's fingertips. It seeped into Celestia, and cloaked her in a blanket of warm light. Her wounds began to stitch themselves back together and her skin was mended a moment later. After the light had vanished completely, the woman turned to Demonte.

"How did you do that?" She asked. "Even humans with Forbidden Magicks cannot do something like that!"

"…I don't know," He mumbled, barely above audibility. "I discovered that I could do it when I was a small child. I think…yes, I found a dog that had been injured and I was scared that it was going to die. All of a sudden, a dazzling light appeared before me and the dog was healed." Demonte lowered his head. "I don't know what it is. But that's all I know. Even through my foggy memory, I know that situation well." 

"That's insane," She said, shaking her head. "Purely insane."

Her eyes followed the cloaked man as he scooped Celestia up into his arms and turned to walk in the opposite direction from where the woman stood.

"I guess that we won't be going to see Schzzarre today," He said, peering into the darkening sky. "We'll have to go tomorrow."

"Schzzarre…?" The woman's eyes narrowed. She knew she heard that name before…but where? "Hey, where are you going now?" She asked.

"I don't know," He said plainly. "But we'll have to find shelter soon; it's getting dark."

"Wait," The woman broke into a run and halted Demonte in his tracks. She wasn't about to let her newfound weapon get away THAT easily. "The citizens of Felnarl evacuated to higher ground when this all happened." She continued once she noticed that she had caught this man's interest. "It's a small town a few iles away from here. We can make it before it gets completely dark. I'll lead you there and then you can tell me all about yourself."

"Why do you care to know?" He asked.

"Hmmm," She started, sarcastically, "You just took down the most monstrous beast with Forbidden Magicks, so, yes, an uncanny individual I might say. And since we seem to be in the same boat with each other, I think we should try to find out as much as we can."

"What boat?"

"Well, you DO want to know what the creatures were that overran this town earlier, right?"

"It doesn't particularly matter to me," Demonte shrugged.

"Well, I would normally say the same thing, but…" The woman's voice fell to a whisper. "I would personally like to find out why the hell you have the ability to use Forbidden Magicks."

Demonte bit his lip and turned towards the town's exit.

"Whatever. Guide us out of town and to somewhere safe and MAYBE we'll talk…"

"Well," The woman shrugged. "It's a start."

Peering out of a secluded window, a brunette woman held a closed hand to her chest. It was nearing nightfall. That meant that the time was approaching quickly for her to show up for her part-time job in the town. Her mission was to protect the refugees from Felnarl and it was her job to secure the small town of Sanction, the name coming from the will to help anyone with anything. It was important for that, she knew, because these times were so hard.

The fog infiltrated her room, and she shivered as she closed the window. Turning to grab her stun gun, the woman closed the opening in her green trench coat and walked out of her room.

"I can't take anymore," Demonte panted as continued to climb the mountain upwards. "I can't see a damn thing in front of me and this woman I'm carrying must weigh 200 pounds!"

"How rude," The woman leading the way commented over her shoulder. "You should never mock a woman's weight. She doesn't even look 120, much less 200!"

"Well it doesn't matter. Couldn't you have found an EASIER route to get to this town you're taking us to?"

"The town was built at the top of this mountain for a special reason. The mountainside protects the city from being invaded so easily. It would take the enemy at least a few days to make it uphill, especially if they're wearing heavy garments. It's a great place for refugees to take cover."

"What's the name of it?"

"Sanction," She said plainly.

"Sanction? Never heard of it." Demonte had a hard time keeping up with the woman as the fog continued to surround him. "I don't understand how you can manage in this fog. I never travel at night, unless it's exceptionally important."

"I'm a traveler."

"I am too, but I find it impossible to travel in night fog." Then he changed the subject. "Why are you helping us anyway?"

"One, I feel sorry for that girl there. It must be a pain in the ass traveling with a guy like you."

"Gee thanks," Was his reply.

"Two, I'm headed there anyway and I might as well take the remaining refugees with me."

"And…?"

"Three, you interest me."

"I hope you don't mean that in the way I'm thinking of."

"Shut up, it's not like that at all. Your powers, I mean, and your occupation. In fact, you haven't even given me your name yet."

"Same with you."

"Well, what's her name?" The woman pointed to the girl Demonte was carrying.

"Oh her? That's Celestia. I'm sure she'll give you a more proper introduction once she regains consciousness."

"That's a pretty name, and she's a pretty girl, too. Is she your girlfriend?"

Demonte laughed. "Hardly!"

"Really? Then why are you two traveling together?"

"She came into some problems back in December with some guys and I helped her out. She then clung onto me like fish to water."

"Fish…" The woman breathed. "That's not something you hear everyday, considering how scarce they are."

"Water especially. I don't think that there's much left."

"No, even more so now because of the Dark Ages."

Silence surrounded them and then Demonte looked up. "Hey, how much further?"

"About five minutes if we keep at the pace we're going." The woman said, trudging up the mountain pass. "Don't worry, we'll find a place to get Celestia and then we'll talk. Unless, of course, you have supplies that you need to purchase first. We can always talk afterwards."

"It doesn't matter," Demonte heaved as he shifted his shoulders to fit the weight he was holding. 

"All right, then we'll figure it out when we get there."

"How late do all the shops stay open?"

"It's a town that never sleeps," She replied. "All for the protection of the refugees, inhabitants, et cetera…"

"Well isn't that just sweet of them?" He sighed.

He glanced upwards, the town barely coming into view due to the heavy fog. He could just make it out by the bright lights illuminating the foggy sky. Music reached his ears and laughter made his heart ache. Laughter…

"It seems to be a cheery little place," He observed.

"It's hard in the Dark Ages," The woman said. "They have to keep up their spirits. If they don't who will?"

"Good point," Demonte said and then spotted a large wooden barricade around the small city. "Looks like they've even gotten the defense. A huge 50 foot wall around the town, eh?"

"It's one of their defenses. It's actually a wealthy little place, one of the last wealthy cities left."

"What do they do, steal?"

"No, actually, their Governess is pretty wealthy, I hear. I've never met her. She inherited everything from her dead father. They also know how to manage their money. They'll help Felnarl get back on its feet."

As they approached the gates, Demonte caught a small glimpse of the mysterious woman as her figure flickered in and out of the light from inside the city. Her short black hair seemed tangled and ruffled due to the night's events from earlier.

She knocked on the door firmly and waited for a reply. Soon, one came.

"Who's there!?" Came a weary voice from inside.

"Henai," The woman replied.

"Henai…" The word was chewed upon a bit by the receiving end. "Anyone else there with you?"

"A woman and a young man." The woman called 'Henai' replied.

"Are you sure that they're trustworthy?" The man from the other side questioned.

"Positive," Henai answered. "Hey, why are you getting so suspicious all of a sudden? The residents of Felnarl just came here a little while ago."

"It's just for protection, Henai. What are your companions' names?"

Henai turned to look at Demonte. "The woman's name is Celestia," She replied and then waited for Demonte's answer.

"My name is Demonte."

"Demonte," Henai turned her head back to the wooden door. "Celestia and Demonte."

"All right, Henai, we believe you. We'll let them in."

The large gate crept open and Henai motioned Demonte to come inside. The city was amazingly beautiful, Demonte had noted. Lights and music and laughing people. This city almost made him forget that there ever was a 'Dark Age'.

"Come on, you'll have time for sightseeing later," Henai told him.

"You never told me that you're a known resident here," Demonte said.

"I also didn't tell you that **I** was the one who told the civilians of the upcoming danger and sent them here."

"What?" Demonte asked, puzzled. "You already knew of the danger before it came to pass?" Then Demonte pondered for a moment. "No wonder I didn't see any dead bodies there…" Gee, he REALLY hoped that this woman wasn't another psychic. One was enough.

"Don't worry about the small details, Demonte. If you worry too much, you'll become an old man." Demonte followed Henai to a small building, north of town.

The building was fairly small, far too small to be an inn. But it amazed him that the interior was commodious and voluminous. Inside was a large bar with few rooms in the back for sleeping. Both men and women were enjoying themselves as they sang and danced and drank merrily. 

"It's grand, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Demonte's attention was snapped back to Henai.

"These people, they don't have a care in the world. Outside of Sanction, their lives are lost, lonely, and miserable. But here, people are happy, friendly, and above all, are willing to help anyone in need. It makes a lot of other towns envious you know…"

Demonte finally noticed the woman in full regalia. Her black trench coat nearly swept across the stone cold floor and her black gloves and boots were a nice addition to the coat as well as the mysterious dark sunglasses held up by her small nose. She was a petite woman, he observed, but it was amazing that she packed such firepower.

"Well, Demonte, let's say we get your friend to a room and I'll show you around town. I suppose that there's plenty of time for talk."

"Talk is cheap anyway," Demonte shrugged. "Sounds like a plan."

"All right then, follow me."

Henai opened the door to a small bedroom with a single window, a small wooden desk with a lamp, and a soft bed. After situating Celestia, Demonte turned and stretched, relieved to have been released from carrying such a big burden.

"Where to first, oh gracious leader?" Demonte rolled his neck from side to side and then glanced back at Henai.

"First, let's introduce you to the Governess of this place."

"What for?"

"Just to see what she thinks about all of this."

"I thought that you said we were going to talk later."

"Well, what else did you have in mind?"

"First, I want a beer. Just a nice, cold, beer. Then, I need to shop for supplies and I wouldn't mind a look around this place. We'll talk to her afterwards."

Henai crossed her arms over her chest. "First you're indecisive and then you reject the first suggestion I make. All right, a beer it is. But you have to agree to see her."

"All right, all right. I will. How do you plan on getting in to see her anyway? I thought that you two have never met."

"We haven't, but now is as good a time as any."

"All right. Beer first, sightseeing next, and THEN we'll meet up with her."

Henai laughed and nodded. "Boy looking at you before and then looking at you now, I wouldn't have guessed you to be the same person."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"Nevermind, come on." She smiled and took him by the arm, guiding him to the bar.

Demonte's feelings proved to be incomprehensible. Seeing people so joyous as this, he had never experienced it before, even before the Dark Ages. His watchful gaze beheld the people that sang on the stage, and it made him feel so warm inside. Their songs were filled with light and love. He almost wanted to join them. And the people dancing, and laughing. Their laughter rang so loud in Demonte's mind and the dancing was so extensive and lively. Such unexplained human emotions. How could they throw problems away such as the Dark Ages? For the first time, he actually enjoyed his beer, instead of drinking it to forget his problems.

And the music that played in the streets. Now THAT was something, Demonte had thought to himself. Strangely, he had felt the soles of his feet move to the beat of the music. He had never done that before. The heart of the songs had been met with lutes, drums and saxophones. Was this a parade? Demonte felt, at ease, for once. It was so hard to place the emotion. He never wanted to leave this place, go back to the Hell's Mafia, and confront Granus. No, he wanted to stay here.

Henai shook his shoulder lightly and turned to look ahead. Demonte followed her gaze—to the Governess' home.

"This is it," She smiled. "I've never been here, but out of respect, you have to remove that hood."

Demonte suddenly felt uncomfortable and the joyous thoughts bouncing around in his mind were replaced with weariness and etched anger.

"What about your sunglasses?" He asked.

"I'm on it," She smiled.

"I'm not exactly comfortable with taking my hood off here," He said.

"Why? Are you hiding something from someone or…" Henai laughed. "Are you a stud under that hood and just don't want girls to know?"

"No, seriously," Demonte wasn't joking anymore. "I'm not taking my hood off."

"What's the big deal?" Henai asked.

"Just," Demonte gave up and turned, ready to walk back to the inn alone. "Nevermind. Forget about it."

A hand as quick as a whip snapped out and coiled around Demonte's arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" Suddenly, Henai wasn't joking around either. "You can't go anywhere yet."

"Dammit!" He yelled, "Let me go!"

She was surprisingly strong. "You're not going anywhere. Not until we met the Governess. Now take…off…that…hood…"

"Screw you," He growled.

She punched him and he grabbed his nose, blood dripping down between his fingers. She withdrew her gun and held it to his head. "Move. NOW." She ordered.

Checkmate. Damn.

Demonte glanced up at her unwillingly and assented to her demands. He plodded unhappily to the Governess' gates, before being stopped by two armored guards.

"You'd better take off that hood if you want us to clean up that bloody nose," Henai told him.

Was she belittling him?

She turned to look at the guards. "You'll have to excuse him." She said. "We're here to see the Governess."

"Do you have an appointment?" A vague, yet familiar, woman's voice questioned Henai.

"It's important," Henai assured. "We need to see her."

The guard turned to her partner, as if asking for consent before she agreed. Finally, she looked back at Henai and nodded. "You can pass. But may I ask for you two to take off your sunglasses and hood?"

"Most certainly," Henai said, reaching for her sunglasses. Demonte looked up, his eyes diverting towards Henai. He gasped. He was staring at an exact replica of himself.

The guard was even more taken aback as he was. She quickly removed her helmet and looked at Henai, her face paled as her brunette hair fell about her shoulders.

"M-Meryl…?" The woman choked out.

"Milly?" The woman called 'Meryl' blinked and then her face became resilient. "Well Milly, it's been a long time."

***

Any better? Slowly but surely everyone's coming back so, please be patient. I promise it won't be as slow in later chapters! R&R please! Love it, hate it (Just be nice please) or whatever.

BLD


	6. Forbidden Magicks

Disclaimer: Still don't own Trigun. Wish I did. THEN it wouldn't be so hard to gather information for my story. Which brings me to my next point…

A/N: Like I've said before, I'm taking most of my information off the show Trigun (So that events seem most accurate). I have looked up some information about parts of the show (I didn't really take anything from the manga, seeing as how different it is from the show), but came up confused. Such as (of course) Vash's age. I have heard that at the beginning of the anime he was 131 and by the end he was 133. But then I've heard that by the end of the anime he was 131. Since I don't like posting false information (And making an ass out of myself) I was wondering if any of you good folk out there could help me cause (heh, heh) I DID try to get information from the show and it didn't add up. At all. Like how it was 130 years ago but then you have to remember that Vash and Knives were already a year of age from the SEED Ship and blah blah. Anyway it doesn't add up. If anyone could help me, I'd be most grateful and I'd even give you credit too. Also, that goes with any other info that you see that I have posted that is false (It should pretty much be accurate. I DID take good notes from the show, but you never know…) like if you guys know the ages (FOR SURE) of the others from the show (Milly and Meryl for example) please part your all-knowing information with me. And please let me know if you find any problems. Arigato ^_^

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Five

Forbidden Magicks

__

"People refuse change because they think it's too late. Can it just be that they don't want to try?"

-Author Unknown

****

"M-Meryl…?" The woman choked out.

"Milly?" The woman called 'Meryl' blinked and then her face became resilient. "Well Milly, it's been a long time."

"You…know each other?" Demonte asked, still keeping his hand over his bloody nose.

"Damn, it's a small world." 'Meryl' laughed and drew her friend into a hug. "Of course we know each other; we have a history together."

"I don't get this," Demonte sighed and pinched his bleeding nose.

"Oh, sorry about that," Meryl said, patting his back, and pointing to his nose. "Let's get you inside and we'll clean you up."

"I don't need your help," He shrugged her hand off his shoulder and walked past the two into the Governess' Manor.

"Who's that, Meryl?" Milly asked, turning to her friend.

"That's Demonte," She said nonchalantly, "Don't mind him."

Demonte slipped into the bathroom, aware of the stern glances he was getting from civilians inside the Manor. He looked up into the mirror, watching as the blood rolled down his face, over the curve in his lips, down his chin, and finally dropped into the sink. At least his nose wasn't broken.

Demonte locked the door before removing the hood of his cloak. He wiped the stream of blood from his nose with a paper towel and gazed at himself in the mirror. That woman…named Meryl…why did he feel like he was staring at his own reflection? When she took off her glasses…And why did she lie about her name? It just didn't come together.

Reaching for another paper towel for his nose, Demonte's mind began to race. His sister…no, wait, twins? Nah, his mother would've told him, wouldn't she? Or, maybe it was just him. A lot of people had black hair. But violet eyes too?

"Demonte, get a hold of yourself," He scolded as he shook his head and wiped away the never-ending blood. "Your sister could be dead for all you know. That doesn't mean that this woman could be her. No, not at all." If all else failed, he would place her as a distant cousin. But after all, his sister was most probably dead, just like the rest of his family.

Then a knock sounded at the door. "Demonte? Are you okay? I didn't break your nose, did I?"

"No," He said quickly and realized that the bleeding had ceased. "I'll be out in a minute."

A pause and then, "I'm sorry I hit you…"

"It's all right," He assured, hoping to get her to leave. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, I'll be in front of the Governess' door. Meet me there when you get cleaned up."

"Yeah, sure."

He relaxed when he heard footsteps moving away from the door. "Damn, persistent woman…" He looked up into his eyes, watching his reflection breathe heavily, just as he was. 

His hair did look like that woman's…just a bit messy. And his facial features…Ah, DAMMIT! This was so pointless. It probably wasn't even her.

Demonte fingered the Band-Aid on the left side of his cheek. Sighing, he pulled his hood back over his head and reached for the doorknob. He hated being right, knowing what he did about his sister, which was next to nothing. 

"I wonder what kind of person she is…" No, stop the wishful thinking.

He exited the room and found Meryl down the hall.

"Henai," He said as he approached her, "Or Meryl. Which is it?"

"I'll tell you in a minute."

"You lied," He pressured. "I'm not too fond of liars."

"I didn't lie." She smiled. "I just didn't tell you the whole truth."

He sighed. "What are we waiting for?"

"Milly is inside talking to the Governess. She'll let us know in a minute whether or not we'll be permitted to see her."

As if on cue, the door crept open and Milly poked her head through the crack. "The Governess says that she will speak to you in her study. Please meet her there."

"All right," Meryl agreed. "Just down the hall, right?"

"Down the hall and to the right."

Meryl nodded and gestured to Demonte. "Come on Demonte."

He watched her movements carefully as they trailed down the hall, turning sharply, and up the stairs. Maybe they had known each other in another life, perhaps? No, maybe he saw her at one of Rohgsworn's famous parties? Her? One of the Hell's Mafia's members? No way. An ex-lover? Puh-leeeze, he was still a virgin, not that that was a bad thing. He just never had the time to get seriously involved with anyone.

"Demonte," Meryl pulled him into a large room. "You really need to stop spacing out on me, bud."

The room was beautiful, not as luxurious as Cliff's old mansion, but beautiful nonetheless. Maybe it was the large window that stood out, capturing most of the scenery, or fog, to be exact. It would've been a lovely window if it had something to connect itself with. Fog was most certainly not lovely nor beautiful.

Meryl flopped onto a couch and looked at her companion.

"Why don't you take off that hood, Demonte?"

"I don't want to."

"Oh come on! I didn't mess your face up that bad, did I?"

"It's not that," He said, staring out the window. "I just don't feel comfortable with people looking at me."

"You're a man full of secrets…" She sighed. "You're going to have to, sooner or later…"

"What are you going to do, pull another gun stunt on me?"

"Geez, you're such a stick in the mud…" Meryl sighed and turned her head as the door opened, revealing Milly and a woman in a long turquoise gown that made Meryl shiver and her heart stop in her chest.

"Hello," Said the Governess. She took one look at Meryl and gasped. "You're…"

"I remember you…" Meryl said, standing up. Demonte turned and looked at the Governess.

"Wait, you're…" He started.

"Meryl," Milly clasped her hands together. "Remember that woman from the bar about seven years ago?"

"You're that wealthy woman…your father…" Meryl couldn't quite place it.

"Come, sit down," The Governess laughed and motioned her guests to sit. "It seems as though we have a lot to recollect, don't we?"

"We sure do," Meryl laughed. She looked up at Demonte. "Well, if you're not going to take your hood off, at LEAST come and sit on the couch," Meryl motioned a spot next to her.

Demonte was reluctant, but sat down anyway, but in a far away chair, separate from the others. Meryl seemed a bit disappointed.

"My name is Stefany Bostalk, Governess of Sanction."

"I knew it!" Meryl nearly jumped up. "Your father was…"

"Grim Reaper Bostalk…" Stefany lowered her head. "I know."

"I remember you now…" Meryl relaxed into her seat. "Milly, why didn't you tell me that she was the Governess?"

"I thought you knew." Milly shrugged.

"My father died about four years ago, when the Dark Ages started. He obtained some rare disease that made him quite ill and killed him. He left his money to me and requested that I fulfill his dying wish in building a town on the land that he had robbed from those good people all those years ago. Together, with many friends of my father, we built this town, Sanction. I decided to call it 'Sanction' to let everyone know that they were welcome here whenever and we would help them anyway possible. I think my father would've wanted it."

"Me too, Milady…" Milly smiled.

"Milly," Meryl turned to her friend. "You work for her?"

"Oh, just recently." Milly said. "I've had several other jobs before this, but I just took up this job about six months ago."

"Why have you gone through so many jobs?" Meryl asked, curiously.

"Money. They didn't have enough to pay me." Milly replied. "Just like this planet, it's drying up."

"Wait," Demonte held up his hands. "Tell me what the hell is going on here because I'm confused."

Meryl laughed. "All right, Demonte, I'll tell you what's going on."

"What? Did you forget that I was here or something?" Demonte asked, irritably.

"No," Meryl shook her head. "It's just that I haven't seen these guys in years. It's a reunion thing." Demonte rolled his eyes.

"Well Demonte," Milly began. "Meryl and I used to work together until about four years ago at an insurance agency. Our mission was to follow the infamous Vash the Stampede. Up until a few years ago, he was searching for his brother, who was wreaking havoc around the world. After he found him, Mr. Vash wandered off and was never heard from again. That's when the real trouble began."

"What? Are you serious!?" Demonte's eyes widened. "YOU both KNEW Vash the Stampede?"

"Yes," Meryl said with a hint of sadness residing in her voice. "After he disappeared without a trace, our world was sent straight to hell. The insurance agency shut down and Milly and I split up and went our own different ways. We haven't seen each other in three years, so, you can see why we're happy to see each other."

"Why didn't you write then?" Demonte asked, as though he had pointed out the most obvious mistake to them both.

"We were always on the road, there was never any time." Milly said. "Our stays were always short, sojourn, and then we'd be gone again."

"We just met Ms. Stefany on our travels with Vash," Meryl added.

"I see," Demonte mumbled. "Just off topic, why did those guys call you 'Henai' when we came in? Or is that your real name?"

"No," Meryl said and sighed, closing her tired eyes. "My real name is Meryl Stryfe. People just call me Henai in this village because of my heritage."

Ah-ha, Demonte thought. She has a heritage, of course she can't be related to me.

"Anyway, enough about us," Meryl said. "I want to ask you some questions, Demonte. That's why I brought you here." Meryl turned to look at Stefany. "Ms. Stefany, I was hoping that maybe you can help me since you seem to be so into the Forbidden Magicks."

"Yes," She agreed. "My father was a complete fanatic."

Demonte suddenly felt uncomfortable. Why was he the specimen of the day all of a sudden?

"First," Meryl started. "What's your full name?"

"Why the hell does it matter?" He asked defensively.

Meryl remained patient with him. "It was just a question. What's your full name?"

Demonte sighed. What was she up to?

"Demonte Kalabis. JUST Demonte Kalabis." 

"Kalabis," Meryl nodded. "I don't recognize the last name."

"What's this for?" He asked, cautiously.

"You can use Forbidden Magicks, correct?" Meryl asked.

Demonte nodded.

"So I thought that you were a descendent from a family who could already use Forbidden Magicks."

"What's this about, Miss Stryfe?" Stefany asked, fascinated by the ongoing conversation.

"In Felnarl, I was being attacked by a large Cerberus. Demonte just happened to come along and he killed the beast with Forbidden Magicks."

Demonte bit his lip. This conversation was not looking favorable on his side.

"Really?" Stefany smiled. "Mr. Kalabis, I was wondering if you could by any chance help us?"

"With what?" A sharp pain extended from the pit of his stomach up to his head, creating a massive headache. More than anything now, he wanted to jump up and leave. Just run as far as he could. What were these girls up to?

"There has been some recent activity with a mob of people over in the East, near the ruins, I believe." Stefany said. "I'm worried that they might be headed this way."

"And those beasts that you saw aren't from this planet." Meryl explained. "Those men and the dark beasts are from another dimension, supposedly."

Really? Well that was saying a lot. Although Demonte had no idea what they were referring to when they mentioned another 'dimension'.

"They must be planning some kind of conspiracy." Stefany cut in. "With your powers, we were wondering if you could help us check it out."

Demonte knew damn well what it was. It was the Hell's Mafia.

"There has been a repeating pattern of town burnings and ruin raids." Meryl continued.

"Sorry," He muttered. "I'm already on a mission of my own," He stood up to leave. "But maybe we'll settle down and talk next time, okay?"

He quickly retreated from the room, not caring to see the expressions of these people. They were onto him. 

"Well, at least they're not apart of the I.T.F. that's been giving the Mafia a hard time…" He sighed. "They just wanted to use me for some protest project. I have to get out of here."

He always had to leave. One place was never safe. Ever.

Demonte made his way back to the inn and gathered his belongings. "Sorry Celestia," He muttered under his breath. "I can't wait for you to wake up. Hope you get to November safely."

On the way out of town, he purchased a map. He traced back in his mind to the coordinates that Celestia had given him. 35, 50? Oh well, he would figure it out eventually. But either way, he had to get to Cliff Schzzarre.

"Did you find him?" Milly asked her companion as they exited from the inn.

"No, and all of his belongings are gone…" Meryl bit her lip and clenched a fist. "Dammit! Now he's gotten away!"

"Now, now, Meryl," Milly consoled her friend. "We'll find him. It'll be just like old times."

"But we can't leave the girl," Meryl gestured back to the door from which they had just exited.

"Leave it to me, Sempai!" Milly smiled. "I can carry her."

Meryl smiled. "Milly, I'm not your senior anymore. You can stop calling me that." Then her face grew emotionless. "It's a real shame that we can't use a thomas to find him. It would be so much faster than on foot…"

Milly opened the door and looked at the young woman. "So this is Celestia?"

"Yeah," Meryl said, rounding her gear up for their long journey.

"That was pretty rude of Demonte to just leave her here."

"She'll be awake by morning," Meryl said. "But Milly, are you sure that you want to carry her all that way?"

She watched as Milly pulled the young woman onto her back.

"It's no problem for me." Milly smiled.

That made Meryl smile too. "How can you be so calm and kind during all of this? It seems like you don't have a care in the world. Just like old times." Then another question struck Meryl. "Hey Milly, just whatever happened to your family?"

Milly's cheerful face dissipated into a frown and her eyes met the floor. Meryl instantly cursed herself for asking such a question.

"They were killed…on a raid in my hometown about three years ago, when all of the torching in the towns began…"

"I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have asked…Milly…"

There was a hiatus in the conversation for several minutes, which made Meryl feel even worse.

"No, Meryl. I've been feeling pretty good these days." Milly tilted her head up to see her friend. "Life is what you make it. Not all is bad."

"You're completely right," Meryl nodded. 

"And now, Meryl," Milly stood up and advanced towards the door. "Let's go find Demonte."

Demonte shivered. He knew that it was a horrible idea to wander around in the dark. With FOG no less. But it was important. He HAD to find Cliff. The letters had to be delivered. He figured that Meryl and her friend would be on his trail shortly, which was enough for him to quicken his pace.

Coughing, Demonte reached into his pocket for the letters he was to deliver. They rested peacefully inside of his cloak. Breathing a sigh of relief, he continued on, jogging midway and then returning to a fast-paced walk.

A few minutes later into the darkness told him that he was lost. He growled. Demonte wasn't particularly fond of camping out in the middle of nowhere, especially with all of the extraterrestrial beasts hanging out all over the planet. Even Demonte had no clue as to what they were. But like Meryl had said, they were neither human nor animal.

He finally settled down near a mountain range and pitched up a tent from his bag that he had purchased back in Sanction. Starting up a small campfire, he pulled out a small can of food and placed it over the fire. Then withdrawing a canteen of water, he unscrewed the lid and sipped off of it, careful not to waste the last few precious drops of his water. It would be more useful for in the morning.

The fire cackled and the mountain range grew bright with the red and orange lighting from the fire. Feeling more secure with himself, Demonte lowered his hood, dropping it until it rested behind his shoulders and he began to draw circles in the dirt with his index finger out of boredom.

He still couldn't get the whole situation out of his mind. But as soon as he dropped the letters off to Cliff, the better off everything would be. Then from there, he could head to Roklen and dispose of Granus' plans, although it remained unclear as to why he was doing it. But he was a man who asked no questions. Questions led to murder in the Hell's Mafia.

The fog invited itself to Demonte's side and he once again became cold. Pulling a blanket from out of his bag, he wrapped it around himself from shoulder to shoulder and snuggled beneath it. He ran a hand through his dark hair and closed his eyes, listening as the canned food bubbled up lightly.

"Hmmm…" He said, tilting his head slightly so that it leaned on his shoulder just barely. "That woman…Meryl…She's a hard one to figure out…" He yawned and waited for his food to finish cooking.

Sleep overtook him a little while after he had finished eating and he curled up into a small ball. Removing his cloak from his body, he tossed it into a corner and pulled his boots off, throwing them into another. He discarded the gloves, tossing them over his shoulder. He was left remaining in a black turtleneck shirt and black pants. Yawning just a couple more times, he leaned back and let his mind drift. However, his dreams were not the peaceful things he had entirely hoped for.

__

Staring down at his hands…yes…his own hands…They were smaller now. Much smaller than his usual adult hands.

He was a child again.

"Demonte, the land is prosperous and fertile. When you inherit this land, my son, you must always remember that the world is alive, no matter what others may think. It is alive…"

This voice…was not father's… 

And then he was a young man, harboring childhood secrets, wielding Forbidden Magicks and venturing the plains and highlands.

A stalky man, covered in darkness, almost invisible, withdrew a katana, and then he and the man began to fight. Like running fire, the man sped forward and beat him down. So much blood spilled. And as he looked up, the katana cut clean across the left side of his face.

He awoke in a cold sweat and at a loss of breath. Pulling the covers over his head, Demonte restrained himself from crying. Why did life have to be so damn hard? Why? Was it a mistake…that he was here? Was he only a puppet in the Mafia's games?

"God…please…" He refused to fall asleep again for the rest of the night.

Once again sleep deprived, Demonte trudged out into the fog, glancing every so often at the map and then back to his surroundings.

"Okay, so where am I?" He stared up into the colorless sky. "Nothing looks familiar," He sighed and stuffed the map back into his cloak. "Damn," He cursed and plodded forward.

***

I hope that this story isn't getting too boring. Too much talking -_-' but it'll get better once everyone starts coming back. (HUZZAH!) But I still wouldn't mind critiques (Nice ones please) about how to improve my story. Dunno if I mentioned it before, but this IS my first serious fic that I've written, so I'm always trying to find ways to make it better. And as always R&R please.

BLD 


	7. The Man With The Black Coat

Disclaimer: Still don't own Trigun.

Yay! School's almost out! Then I can work on this story more, if anyone wants me to, anyway. Please let me know what you all think! The crew of Trigun will be reunited shortly, so please stay tuned.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Six

The Man With The Black Coat

__

"The use of force, he was so tough   


She'll soon submit, she's had enough   


The march of fate, the broken will   


Someone is lying very still   
  
He has laughed and he has cried   


He has fought and he has died   


He's just the same as all the rest   


He's not the worst, he's not the best"

-Pink Floyd (Lyrics from 'Yet Another Movie')

"Sempai," Milly yawned and climbed out of her tent. "It's dawn."

Meryl sat around the campfire, preparing breakfast.

"We'll have to eat quickly and then continue forward." She told her partner as she passed her a plate of eggs.

"But Meryl, where are we going? We aren't even sure where he went."

"Yeah…" Meryl agreed. "Although we don't know, I'm certain that his partner will know where he went."

"True," Milly said, picking at her eggs. "But she's still not awake."

Then a loud yawn rang resounded as Celestia emerged from her own tent, stretching her arms above her head. She halted and looked around. Blinking, she was held cemented to the ground.

"Who the heck are you guys?" She asked.

"I'm pleased to meet you," Meryl arose to shake her hand. "I'm Meryl Stryfe."

Celestia remained silent as Meryl pumped her hand a few times.

"Meryl Stryfe, ex-worker of the Bernardelli Insurance Society. Age 28. Grew up in…" Meryl jumped back, nearly tripping over the campfire.

"What the hell!?" She screamed, staring at Celestia. "What the hell are you!?"

Celestia stood still, dumbfounded, and then she broke into full fledge laughter. "You looked the same way that he did!" She burst out, cackling hysterically.

Meryl looked at her, confused. Then she grew angry.

"Hey! Just who are you anyway!? How do you know who I am and my occupation!?"

Celestia sobered up and smiled. "My name is Celestia Androke."

"That still doesn't say anything about how you know me." Meryl said, warily.

"Meryl!" Milly smiled and clasped her hands together. "She must be a psychic!" Celestia smiled and shook Milly's hand.

"Milly, that's the dumbest thing I've ever—"

"Milly Thompson, age 26. You worked as Meryl's partner in Bernardelli." Meryl's face paled.

"Y-You're…psychic!?" Meryl's jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," Celestia smiled. "You see, usually I don't invade other peoples' privacy, but when I saw you without my partner, I got kind of scared. But now I realize that you know Demonte too."

"Yup," Meryl sighed extravagantly. "She's a psychic all right."

"Oh wow!" Milly's face lit up like a child at Christmas. "I've never met a psychic before! Isn't this exciting Meryl?"

"Thrilling," Meryl said and then an idea came to her mind. "Celestia, since our formal introductions have been kind of one-sided, and things have been cut short, do you think that you can help us?"

"I already know what you want," Celestia shifted her weight to her left leg as she held her tiny hands on her hips. "I sensed it from when you shook my hand."

"Good," Meryl smiled. "Then that saves the time of explaining everything." Sighing, she sat back down on the ground and resumed in eating her breakfast. "So," She said with a mouthful of food. "Where do you think that he is?"

Celestia didn't answer right away. Instead, she closed her eyes and sought deep within the subconscious thoughts of her male companion. "Well," She said, biting her bottom lip. "Yesterday we were headed for Cliff Schzzarre's place."

"Mr. Cliff?" Milly arose at the name. "That was the man who…"

"I know who he is, Milly," Meryl motioned her companion to sit. "He was the man who monopolized the water about seven years ago."

"That's him," Celestia agreed. Celestia opened her mouth to explain what Demonte was doing at a place like that, but her muscles tensed as feelings passed through her, sensing that Meryl and her partner had no clue as to who Demonte really was. She decided to leave it unsaid.

"Then that's our next destination," Meryl said, a little disappointed. "I was almost hoping that he would've taken up on our offer and went to the Eastern Ruins."

"But Meryl," Milly stopped her partner. "Don't you want to know why he's going to that man's place?" Milly could be smart sometimes.

"That's quite true…" Meryl looked up at Celestia. "Well, do you know anything about it?"

Celestia felt trapped. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I don't know," She lied. "You'd have to ask him."

Meryl sighed. "I thought that you were his partner…"

"Not really," Celestia said quickly. "He's my bodyguard until I get to November. It's a long story actually."

Meryl began to pack her belongings. "Well off we go I guess. Milly, get your stuff, all right?"

Celestia watched as the two women extinguished the fire and began to pack up their tents and sleeping bags. "Hey, why are you two so interested in Demonte?"

"You don't know?" Meryl asked as she stuffed her sleeping bag into her duffel bag. "He can use Forbidden Magicks. That's a pretty big deal if you ask me. Anyway, we need his help since he can use such powers."

"It's now our own self-proclaimed mission that we find him and bring him back to Sanction!" Milly smiled as she picked up her sleeping bag, her green trench coat hanging open loosely in front of her.

Celestia paused. Vibes had stung within her fiercely. Something within these two that made her feel uneasy. There was going to be a confrontation soon…

Demonte stopped. The fog enveloped the atmosphere, but he could not deny its exterior appearance. This was the entrance to Cliff Schzzarre's domain. He paused, hesitating whether or not it would be appropriate to just barge in. So he knocked lightly, just barely rapping against the wood. 

It opened slightly, and two brown eyes peered out from behind the crack.

"Who are you?" Came a raspy voice.

Demonte tugged on the hood of his cloak and nodded to himself. This was Cliff all right.

"Cliff," He said, withdrawing with a bundle of letters in his hand. "It's me, Demonte."

"Demonte?" The door opened just a crack further. "Well, it took you long enough to get here." Cliff was a short man, with a huge nose and a short, stubble of a moustache. He was dressed in one of his fine business suits and his hair, flecked with a little gray, was slicked back.

"Sorry," Demonte said, apologetically. "I ran into a mishap over in Felnarl."

"Eh?" Cliff's eyebrow rose. "What mishap?"

"Oversized beasts went rampant in the town and took over. Nothing that I couldn't handle though."

"Well, if that's all that delayed you…"

"I'm sorry," He said again.

Cliff waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. The important thing is that you showed up. Now, come inside and tell me what you've found…"

Demonte stepped inside, his mind convincing him that he was on an elevator. He watched as Cliff tapped numerous buttons on a digital pad and the elevator abruptly began to descend into Cliff's underground mansion.

"So, what's that in your hand?" Cliff gestured to the letters.

"Oh," Demonte suddenly remembered the bundle and handed them to Cliff. "These are the letters I intercepted in Granus."

Cliff looked them over, eyes diverting from left to right. Finally, he nodded. "Good job Demonte. So they're planning an uprising, are they? Well, we'll show them." Finally, the elevator came to a complete halt.

"Where are we, Mr. Cliff?" Demonte looked around.

"Demonte," Cliff led him into a large room. "Welcome to my laboratory."

The room was filled with fancy hi-tech equipment that astonished even Demonte.

"This is all…"

"Lost Technology…" Cliff finished for him. "Exactly."

"But," Demonte continued to stare in complete awe. "How did you come to acquire all of this?"

"Oh, we all have our secrets," Cliff laughed.

"Just like the water incident, right?"

Cliff frowned. "Don't bring that up."

Demonte looked away from Cliff and noticed the large plasma screen displayed in the middle of the room. It was currently turned off, but it kept Demonte's curiosity nonetheless.

"What's that for?" Demonte pointed to it.

The smile returned to Cliff's face. "That, Demonte, allows me to track people from any location. You see, I have created a certain mechanism that has taken on the shape of a bird, so that people won't get suspicious. I command it to go wherever I want and it goes there."

"So in other words, it helps you spy on your enemies?"

"You're a bright boy." 

Demonte scratched his chin with his gloved fingers. "This would be a perfect way to find out what Granus is planning."

"Most definitely," Cliff agreed. "This will teach those bastards to lock me up in jail, especially that damned Marianne."

"Well," Demonte gestured to the letters. "With those, you can spy on them in the exact location with the same timing as when they plan to go on stage. We'll be able to crash their party and they won't expect it." Demonte's eyes shifted back to Cliff's. "Rohgsworn will be pleased."

Cliff chuckled and reached into his breast pocket for a cigar. "Well, the end is almost near, Demonte. Next month, we'll have those Alchemists in our possession. Granus will be finished." He let the last word slip with a puff off of his cigar.

Then Demonte thought of something. "Mr. Cliff," Cliff looked up. "Has Rohgsworn told you why he's doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Why he's after Granus?"

Cliff looked startled for a moment, and then laughed. "Demonte, our leader has his reasons, I'm sure. He's never wronged me, even when I was put in jail for monopolizing the water. I've been in this Mafia for 7 years. Rohgsworn has always been there. ALWAYS."

"So you DON'T know why he's planning this?"

"Of course I do." 

Demonte felt a surge of irritation run through him. "Why am I the only one who doesn't know what the hell this is all about!?"

"Easy, easy," Cliff smiled and puffed off of his cigar. "You'll find out soon enough. It's just not your time yet."

"I'm a member of this damn Mafia too!" Demonte protested. "And yet I know the LEAST about what's going on here!"

Cliff didn't flinch. Instead, he took Demonte by the arm and led him into another part of his mansion. "Demonte, you are the most important part in this mission. You can't let one little thing get to you…"

"One LITTLE THING!?" Demonte could feel his blood boil.

"Listen, the less you know, the better. If you just stick to the mission, then that's all you need to know."

Demonte bit his lip.

"The next thing that you need to do now…" Cliff reached for something in one of his drawers. His body was blocking Demonte's view, making it impossible for Demonte see what was being pulled out. But when he finally did turn around, Demonte recognized it as a map. "…is to go to Roklen. Wait for the first Tuesday to come and contact us when you get there. When you do, wait for the Alchemists to get to wherever the hell they're setting up their experiment. Kill everyone, except the Alchemists."

Demonte felt himself nod and he took the map that Cliff had handed him.

"That map will lead you to the new region." Cliff explained.

"It's going to take months to walk there. It's still 2,800 iles away from here." Demonte stated, rolling the map up.

"Catch a thomas." Cliff suggested.

Demonte blinked. What?

"Catch a thomas? Yeah, I probably could IF they hadn't become demons four years ago."

Cliff laughed. "Demonte with your skill? You could catch more than just a thomas."

"You're just trying to flatter me."

Cliff smiled and discarded his cigar. "Go visit Stan in Ashon, next to November. I'm certain that he'll have some business for you to take care of."

"Like I already don't have enough."

Cliff smiled. "Use the map I gave you. It'll come in handy."

Demonte unfolded the map and looked it over thoroughly. Then he remembered something. "You owe me money."

"Actually, that's why I need you to go see Stan."

Demonte didn't like where this was headed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Stan has the money. He wants you to go see him and I knew that you'd probably ignore going by there so…"

"So, to make sure that I would, you gave him my money." Demonte sighed, irritated.

"I knew that you would do anything for money so that's why I gave it to him. You want your money? Go see Stan."

"Damn you," Demonte whispered.

"You can get angry later, Demonte. But now is not the time. Time, actually, is something that we don't have enough of." Cliff smiled. "But in the meantime, I will send little watchdogs to Roklen. Granus will not get away, that I promise you."

Demonte stuffed the map into his cloak as he walked in the opposite direction of Cliff's underground mansion. His next destination was Ashon so that his money could be claimed. He hated detours, especially when they involved business. He trudged forward, the sand engulfing him and his distant footprints becoming invisible.

He arrived in Orleans City at nightfall. The fog had settled in and so he decided to settle down at an inn. He asked for a room near the front and threw his bag down on the bed once he opened the door. His eyes were reddened by the dust storm and his muscles tired from walking, so he decided to treat himself to a beer.

The bar was not far, only a minute away, but he hurried anyhow to get away from the cold. Heat consumed his body once he stepped through the door and he sighed heavily, leaning fully against the door. It felt good to be away from everything. He ordered a shot of bourbon at the counter, and was amazed that they even had alcohol left in this day and age.

The bar was surprisingly bustling with life and laughter replaced the cries of agonizing death that had lingered in Demonte's mind for a long while. He settled himself at a table in the far back of the room, where he could enjoy his drink in peace. But his serenity did not last long. Two gruff hands were slammed upon the table and Demonte looked up.

An enormous man towered over Demonte, his shadow looming over him as it gave off a frightfully agitated aura.

"Yes, can I help you?" Demonte asked his voice low and calm.

The man reeked of alcohol, so there was no mistaking that he was indeed drunk. The man's eyes were hidden by a shadow and his murky brown hair was pulled back into a braid. His attire of clothing, which included a Cimmerian trench coat, seemed to darken the atmosphere even more than the man's shadow did. Although Demonte felt a bit weary of the man, he attempted not to look intimidated.

"Can I help you?" Demonte repeated again, this time a little more persistent.

"Hey newbie," The voice hissed as he leaned closer to Demonte's face. "You look brilliantly arcane from all the way over there. I figured that I'd come over and introduce myself personally." He cajoled sinisterly.

"You're drunk," Demonte went back to drinking his bourbon. "Go away."

"Oh!" The man bellowed and stood up, turning to face the audience in the bar. "So Mr. Newbie here thinks he's too good to join us!" The drunk turned to look back at Demonte, his slant eyes shown in full regalia this time. "Then we'll settle it our way." Cracking his knuckles, the man pointed out the door. "You and me, outside. It'll be brilliant."

Demonte blinked, astonished. "You're going to fight me? Why?"

"You bastard, don't give me that. You're the asshole that robbed the Mayor's House last night." When Demonte didn't speak up, the drunk man continued. "Are you too shy to speak up and admit your crime, punk?"

"Actually, I'm unsure of what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me asshole!" The drunken man raged as he kicked over Demonte's table, sending the bourbon crashing to the ground. Demonte stayed still in his chair, and barely glanced up at the man. "There was a robbery last night and the Mayor was KILLED! There were also valuable possessions stolen and word has it that a dark figure that looked like you was prowling around last night!"

"I didn't do it." Demonte said, anger residing in his voice. "I just arrived in town tonight."

"Bullcrap." The man spat out. "Prove you didn't do it. Fight me."

"What will that prove!?" Demonte rose from his chair, seething.

"If I don't wind up breaking all of your bones, I'll believe you. If you can't beat me, then I'll kill you. I've always found that fighting solves problems. So, you game?"

Demonte shook his head. This man had to be in some drunken stupor. Even his logic didn't make sense. "If I must. But I'll tell you now," Demonte withdrew his gun and loaded it. "I'm not a newbie."

"Actually kid, we're fighting with our bare hands. We wanna make this flashy."

Demonte hesitantly put his gun away as he tried to absorb the words. "All right," He said, licking his lips. "It's your fight."

Demonte followed the man outside and they stood across from each other in the dusty road.

"Brilliant," The man said, chuckling. "Just brilliant."

Demonte held his breath. Was this guy for real?

"I wish you luck, kid," The man held his fists up, ready to fight. "You'll be needing it."

Then the drunken man charged forward and leapt high into the air. He brought a fist down towards Demonte, but his body only hit only ground. "What!?" He coughed, spitting up dirt and gravel. Using his hands to push himself off of the ground, he turned and was amazed as he saw Demonte on the opposite side of him. "How the hell did you do that?" The wind ruffled Demonte's cloak lightly as he kept his head lowered.

"Come get me," Demonte whispered, his words carried away by the breeze.

The drunk jumped to his feet and lashed out at Demonte, sending a flying back kick in his direction. He was caught off guard as Demonte grabbed the outstretched leg, twisted it, and flipped the drunk on his backside. The man coughed, the wind knocked out of his lungs, and he looked up at Demonte…

…And saw his luminous eyes.

"You're…" The drunk's face scrunched up and he grunted as he was sent flying by Demonte's front kick. He rolled over and jumped to his feet, clutching his injured side. "You're a bastard. A hard-core bastard. Where did you learn how to fight like that?"

"Around," Demonte replied.

The drunken man chuckled. "Why don't you just stand there and let me hit you then!?" The drunk lurched forward and threw a combination of punches to Demonte's face, who dodged the blows swiftly. The drunk growled as his fists ripped through air, never catching his target. "Stop moving!" The drunk shouted.

He was rewarded with an uppercut to the bottom of his chin, clamping his tongue in between his teeth. Then Demonte dropped to the ground and caught the drunk behind his ankle and swept him off of his feet with his leg. 

The drunk finally gave in as he put a hand to his mouth and watched as blood poured from the tip of his tongue. "I give," The drunk said, smiling. "Brilliant."

"Have I proved my innocence yet?" Demonte asked helping the man to his feet, surprising the drunk by this man's actions.

"If you were the criminal, you would've shot me," The drunk laughed. "Brilliant. My name is Brilliant Dynamites Neon. Or, you can call me BDN for short. It's your choice."

"I've heard of you," Demonte nodded. "You're the leader of the Bad Lad Gang."

"USED to be," BDN laughed. "I'm retired now. At least from that." He patted Demonte on the back and led him back inside the bar. "Come on, I'll buy you another bourbon. Sorry about the accusation by the way."

"Don't worry about it," Demonte assured.

BDN ordered two bourbons and the two sat back at the table that BDN had kicked over earlier. "So, what's your name?"

"Hmm?" Demonte was snapped back to reality as BDN's voice reached his ears. "Oh, it's Demonte."

"That's a pretty powerful name," BDN laughed as he leaned back in the chair and sipped off of his own bourbon. "Well Demonte, like I said before, the Mayor was killed here in town just last night by an assassin who looked exactly like you. He was wearing a brilliant looking trench coat with red eyes and silver hair. By the way, do you mind if I ask you to take off that hood? You're scaring the hell outta me wearing that thing. It makes me feel like I'm talking to death himself."

"I'm sorry," Demonte said, looking down. "But I'd prefer not to take it off."

BDN shrugged, a little disappointed. "Well, we all have secrets. Anyway, when I saw you, I thought that you were the convict, so you can see why I overreacted…"

"Absolutely."

"But to be blunt and right to the point, I want your help."

Demonte nearly choked on his drink. "Excuse me?"

"Please," BDN said, more seriously this time. "I'm asking you to help me. The world is suffering from so much garbage as it is; I can't stand to watch the people suffer any longer."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Demonte asked, suddenly becoming leery of this man. Demonte was not very sociable, and helping others just wasn't his style, unless it was convenient.

"I believe that the killer is still in this town," BDN relaxed slightly. "He couldn't have escaped within the last twenty-four hours because of the storm. Frankly stranger, it's damn brilliant that you made it here alive yourself."

"Thanks," Demonte said. "Continue. Where do you think that he's hiding out?"

"Not sure," BDN sighed. "I came here on business myself, so I don't know the layout of this town. But I was here long enough to know about the murder."

"That doesn't quite help me, you know." Demonte set his glass down upon the table. "Besides, how is it going to benefit me?"

"You?" BDN's eyes widened. "Why does it have to benefit you? Why don't you just do it to benefit these people? Next time, that bastard might get a woman, or a child!"

_A child? Like him…as a child?_

"All right," Demonte nodded. "But if it takes any longer than tomorrow morning, I'm outta here. I'm on business too, you know."

"Absolutely," BDN's teeth shined with a glimmering smile. "Thanks Dem."

Demonte rolled his eyes, despising the nickname. "Let's just get out there now before he decides to bail out of town."

Then a gust of wind flew in, and three figures stood in the doorway, cocking their snipers.

***

Hmm…Black coat, silver hair, red eyes…sounds familiar. Too bad that he was never included in the manga or the series, but he's a pretty popular Trigun action figure. Can you guess who it is?

As always, please R&R. Comments, critiques (Nice ones), etc (But no flames please).

BLD 


	8. Vash The Stampede

Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun, just the story and my OC's.

Yay! All you Vash-lovers (Like myself) will get a surprise in this chapter. Oh, and congratulations to everyone who guessed the man in the black trench coat correctly. He will be making an appearance shortly… ^_^ 

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Seven

Vash The Stampede

__

"A man lies and dreams of green fields and rivers

But awakes to a morning with no reason for waking  
  
He's haunted by the memory of a lost paradise

In his youth or a dream, he can't be precise

He's chained forever to a world that's departed

It's not enough, It's not enough."

-Pink Floyd (Lyrics from Sorrow)

The blast came so swiftly that the movement of it could be perceived as a blur. People fell all around Demonte, as bloodshed was spilled everywhere. Demonte forced himself back into the present, and reached for his gun.

Then everything became reality, and the slow motion was gone. The men were shooting at him and BDN now. Everyone else…

…was dead.

"DAMN YOU!" BDN shouted as he held his own gun, one that Demonte had never seen before. "THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE!"

The gun lit up in multifarious colors, power surging through it. Then all at once, the gun exploded into a white light and rained fire down upon the gunmen. They skillfully dodged and secreted themselves behind overturned tables and the counter.

"Get down!" Demonte knocked his friend to the floor as multiple bullets passed above them. Demonte pushed the table over in their favor and then leaned back against the table's surface. He breathed deeply and turned to look at BDN. "Now what?"

"We have to kill them," Came the reply.

"Are these the guys who assassinated the Mayor?"

"…No."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, their fighting style is different than what I saw."

"You SAW the Mayor murdered?"

"From a clear distance. The murderer was gone by the time I got there."

"Well now," Demonte paused as a bullet nearly singed his ear. "It's ShowTime," Demonte remarked, turning on his side. He closed his eyes and lightning began to cackle up and down his arm. Simultaneously, another figure stepped into the doorway and the electricity circling Demonte's arm dissolved into nothingness.

"Who the hell are you!?" One of the assassins shouted to the vague silhouette in the doorway. "Are you here to cause trouble too!?"

"What purpose do you have for coming to kill all of these people!?" BDN shouted from behind his hiding place.

"The sport," Another one of the men replied, laughing. "You should try it sometime."

"You…You…" BDN jumped to his feet, gun in hand. "I'll massacre you…!" But he was caught off guard as the men collapsed from behind the counter, rolled onto their stomachs, and brought their guns out into the open, releasing fire. BDN's arm froze as he watched the speeding bullets, and felt another body collide with him to the floor.

"Stupid!" Demonte shouted. "Do you have a death wish!?"

The mysterious man stepped into the light, his black trench coat slightly flowing behind him. Gold buttons were sewn down his trench coat and he kept a gloved hand on his bloodstained glasses, concealing his eyes. Silver strands of spiked hair stood out from atop his head and were ruffled by an unseen force. In his hand he held a golden .45 colt, which he was now aiming at the closest assassin. His pale face remained emotionless; not even a sign of resilience lay with his expression.

"Answer me you fool!" The assassin closest to this adversary cocked his gun and shot at him. The bullet barreled through the air towards the mysterious man, but miraculously dissolved into dust before it could pierce him.

"Wh-What..?" The men were taken aback as the man advanced forward and rose the gun above his head, holding it with both hands.

"Who the hell is this?" Demonte asked himself as he and BDN watched the man take over the fight. The gun was surrounded by an evil shadow and fire emerged from the gun, as a large eclipse of darkness formed around the man's fingertips and the gun itself. He let the gun go with one hand and aimed it at the men.

"Annihilation…" He whispered.

The apprehension from the faces of the men disappeared as a large pillar blasted forth and disintegrated the men in a single moment. The room lit up, as debris went flying and then melted into dark, oozy, liquid. Demonte glanced up and realized the roof and the walls were gone. They had been destroyed with the light.

But the man did not stop after his targets were gone, nor did the pillar of darkness. Fire surfaced almost immediately after the saloon had been obliterated and consumed everything that remained standing.

"Quick kid! Let's get out of here!" BDN took Demonte's arm and dragged him out into the street, avoiding the persistent flames that attempted to follow after. They turned to look back at the uprising smoke and violent flares arousing in the night.

They watched breathlessly as ash fell from the sky and the smoke rose higher into the night. Demonte turned to BDN, discontentment replacing his usual indifferent demeanor.

"What about him!?" Demonte protested.

But as if on cue, the man emerged from the uproar of flames, unharmed and stalked towards the two.

"What kind of power was that?" BDN found himself asking. Demonte felt relieved to see the man was unharmed.

"He saved us. We should thank him." Demonte stepped forward to the oncoming figure. "You have our gratitude," He told him. "Thank you so…"

Without warning, the golden colt was aimed in his direction, and Demonte stopped mid-sentence.

"Hey!" BDN looked confused. "What are you doing!? We aren't your enemy!"

But the man did not give in. Instead, he cocked his gun and tugged on the trigger. Demonte's eyes widened as he understood. This man, who wielded Forbidden Magicks, was not as merciful as Demonte was. This man killed whoever saw him expose his powers, just like a plague. In a flash, Demonte had reached for his own gun and aimed it at the man's lower torso. "So, you can use Forbidden Magicks," He told the man and then lowered his voice in a threatening tone. "I know that. But you don't want to get in my way." 

__

…Because I can too.

The man paused, and then dropped his gun and turned away.

"Hey, where do you think that you're going!?" BDN paused, realizing something that he had not before, and then anger rose within him. "Red eyes, silver hair, black coat…Y-YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED THE MAYOR!"

But Demonte was too preoccupied with understanding the man's sudden change of heart. It was as though the man could read his mind after he had told himself mentally that he possessed Forbidden Magicks as well. What kind of explanation could he come up with that?

"COME BACK HERE!" BDN swiped through the air to grab the man, only to find out that he was already gone. "What?"

"He escaped." Demonte said, putting his gun back into its holster.

BDN turned to look at him. "That was the man. I don't know how he knew what was going on inside of the bar or why he didn't shoot you or how he got away so damn fast, but that's the bastard who killed the Mayor. We have to catch him and quickly!"

"And just where are you planning to look?" Demonte asked, watching the panicking man pace back and forth in the road.

"I don't know, but we have to search. He'll kill someone else, I know he will."

Then a loud moaning came from inside of one of the alleyways. Demonte turned his head in which the direction came and reached for his gun again. "Someone's there."

BDN reached for his own gun. "Shhh, maybe it's that guy again."

"I doubt it."

But BDN ignored his partner and crept down the alley, holding his gun close. "Who's there?" He called out.

No voices, but loud moaning.

"Someone's hurt," Demonte said, glancing back and forth down the alley.

"Are you okay?" BDN asked to the air. "Where are you?"

But then the moaning stopped and BDN rushed forward.

"Hold on we're coming!" He shouted as he advanced deeper into the alley. Demonte's ears perked up at the sound of feet scuffing across the ground and then a large thud.

"Umpf!" It was BDN.

"Hey!" Demonte ran in the direction he had seen his companion go in. "Are you okay!?"

"Yeah," BDN said, growling. "I tripped over something big."

Demonte diverted his attention downwards and saw the dark outline of his comrade. He turned his head and pushed his body down towards the ground, waiting for any sudden movement. Warm breath tickled the side of this face.

"It's a body," He whispered.

"Is he breathing?" BDN asked, standing up.

"Yeah, heavily, TOO heavily. I think he's hurt…"

"Hey," BDN leaned down. "Are you okay pal?"

No answer.

"Yeah, he's hurt all right," BDN bent down and hoisted the body over his shoulder. "I can't see who it is right now. Do you have anywhere we can go to take him?"

"Yeah, I have a room at the Inn," Demonte said. "But we'd better hurry back before we get caught up in the commotion of the incident back at the saloon."

"You're right kid. Let's go."

The two padded back to the entrance of the alleyway and halted abruptly as they observed a mob of people gathering around the burning bar, throwing water on the flames, and screaming bewilderedly.

"Too late," Demonte turned his head slightly. "Now what, genius?"

"This way," BDN motioned his head through another alleyway. "It's a shortcut, that much I know."

"All right, lead the way." Demonte nodded absently and followed his comrade into the darkness.

"Here we are," Demonte unlocked the door to his room on the second floor and stepped aside as BDN hurried past him. He turned and let the man drop to the bed. Turning on the lights, Demonte followed BDN into the room, shutting the door behind him.

He stiffened as he heard a slight gasp escape from BDN's mouth.

"It can't be…" His eyes widened, "That stupid fool…it can't be him…"

"What are you mumbling on about old timer?" Demonte followed his companion's gaze and stared closely at the man they had saved for the first time.

"That man," It was Demonte's turn to become petrified. "He was the man I saw back in Dankin…Yes, he tried to stop a fight between another man and myself. How ironic that we would meet again."

"No," Demonte heard BDN whisper. "This man…he…he's the legendary Vash the Stampede!"

"WHAT!?" Demonte screeched. "Him!? HIM!?" He pointed to the man on the bed, staring at BDN skeptically. "VASH THE STAMPEDE!? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!? VASH THE STAMPEDE IS DEAD!"

"No," BDN examined the man further. "I am almost positive that this is the yellow-haired bastard. It's brilliant that he's alive!"

"And just HOW the HELL do you know VASH!?" Demonte stumbled backwards. "I need to sit down…"

"Several years ago, I hijacked a sand steamer with my clan, the Bad Lads. Apparently, Vash the Stampede was on that same sand steamer at the time. He beat my men back and I challenged him to a duel for the safety of the sand steamer." BDN almost laughed. "And, of course, he won. I expected no less."

"THAT'S how you know Vash!?" Demonte asked, disbelief residing in his voice. "That's crazy! You expect me to believe that crap!?"

"I'm not asking you to believe it." BDN crossed his arms over his chest. "I was real broken up after I heard about the demise of Vash the Stampede. But I knew that a man like him wouldn't just curl up and die. I wonder why he's stayed in hiding for the past four years."

"You can't be SURE that this is Vash, you know…" Demonte pointed out.

"True, but we'll find out soon enough, eh?" BDN turned around, and nodded. "In the meantime, you don't mind if he takes your bed until he snaps out of it, right?"

"But…" Demonte protested.

"Good. I knew you'd be a man about this. I'm gonna go stand guard outside in case that silver-haired bastard decides to show up again. Also, the civilians of this town may want to find out who burned down their saloon. I don't blame them for being so pissed. A bar is another word for 'sanctuary' anyway." He gave a good, hardy laugh. "Call me if you need me." Demonte heard the door slam shut and his companion was out the door.

He turned to look at the body claiming his bed rights. Could it be? Was this really Vash the Stampede? If it was true, Hell's Mafia would love to find out about this.

Demonte readied himself for bed, preparing a spare mattress by the foot of the bed. He turned over and kicked off his boots, but left his cloak on. Pulling the covers over his head, Demonte snuggled deeper under the warmth of the blankets. He would wait to find out the truth from this man about 'Vash the Stampede' before resuming his journey to Ashon to visit Stan.

__

"Who are you?"

This voice…it was old and fragile…

"Where are you from?"

A softer voice this time. No, it couldn't have been his parents. These voices had a hint of joy in them, as though they had discovered something new.

"There's no need to be afraid, child…"

"Who are your parents?"

The young boy who was being prosecuted shifted his weight in the chair and looked down miserably.

"We're not going to hurt you," The softer voice this time. Someone was holding his hand, stroking it.

"We want to help you…"

"Help you…"

…Help you…

Then fire engulfed the premises, leaving the boy to feel only the heat of death. The two voices that had been trying to console him earlier were now drowned out by the cackle of hideous laughter. Both a man and woman of darkness emerged, and the boy was torn from limb to limb.

"God please help me, God they're gonna get me…Please…Please…"

"HELP ME!!!" Two strong arms pinned Demonte to the floor as he shouted and revolted.

"Take it easy!" An unfamiliar voice commanded. "Stop thrashing around will you!?" Demonte slipped from the man's grasp and dashed for the lights. With a swat of his hand, light filled the room and Demonte was staring face to face with the man known as Vash the Stampede.

Demonte paused, his breathing quickening after the earlier struggle. "You were having a nightmare," Vash whispered. Demonte stiffened as he felt the light gleam in his eyes and he realized that the hood from his cloak had fallen down.

Reaching an arm for his hood, he spun on his heel and shot down the stairs, calling for BDN.

"Quiet boy, you'll wake the dead!" BDN whispered harshly as Demonte burst onto the front porch. "What's the matter?"

"The man…" Demonte huffed. "He's awake!"

The corners of BDN's mouth turned upwards in a smirk. "Well it's about time. Let's go pay a visit to that ol' chum, shall we?" BDN paused. "Geez Dem, did Vash scare you?"

"No," Demonte felt belittled. "Absolutely not. He merely startled me, that's all." Demonte hid the fact that his nightmare was the real startle.

BDN hid a smile and continued up to the room where his longtime friend was staying. As the door swung open, Vash's eyes widened in astonishment. This familiar man…could it be?

"So, are you Vash the Stampede?" BDN asked, bluntly.

"No," BDN's face frowned at this man's reply. "That man died a long time ago."

"So then," Demonte stepped forward. "Who are you?"

"My name is irrelevant," The man said, lowering his gaze to the oak wood floor. "But some do call me Vash."

"Vash," BDN pushed the name through his lips. "So just what did happen to Vash the Stampede?"

"He's no longer needed," Vash said. "That man no longer exists. He was killed by…ambition."

"Ambition huh?" BDN smiled as Demonte's gaze diverted between the two. "So how has life been treating you, Vash? It's been a long time you know."

"I didn't recognize you at first, Brilliant Dynamites Neon. I remember your hair being a lot messier. Now it's just tied back neatly."

"I got a haircut," BDN laughed, heartily. "It is you, Vash, I knew it."

"You!?" Demonte felt his knees go weak at the sight of the truth. "You're the infamous Vash the Stampede!?"

"_Was_, I'd like to say. As I said before, I don't go by that…actually come to think of it, it never really was a name of choice that I had given myself." Vash smiled. "So how's the Bad Lad Gang, Brilliant?"

"I retired from that actually. Just a few years ago too. Lately I've been on my own mission, just to pick up loose change here and there. Well I stumbled upon this little town and there's been a little accident. The Mayor was murdered and I decided to take it upon myself to find his murderer. Well, upon hostile intents, I met up with Demonte here," BDN gestured to the man behind him.

"I've already met him," Vash said. "Back in Dankin, right?"

"So, you remember too?" Demonte said as Vash nodded.

"Anyway, things led from one thing to another and by the time we knew what was going on, we had found you strung out in an abandoned alley way." BDN continued.

Vash stiffened.

"So we brought you back here." Demonte finished.

"Now that we've made a long story short," BDN smiled. "How about sharing some of your stories with us?"

"W-What do you mean?" Vash pretended to play ignorant.

"You know what. What happened after the sand steamer? Why did you go into hiding and conceal yourself for four years? Everyone's been wondering about that, Vash, even those girls who used to travel with you."

A deep anger boiled within Vash's eyes at the mentioning of 'girls'.

"Who cares about the girls? They were just an eyesore anyway, always following me around and driving me crazy! I'm glad to be rid of them. That should've been the top reason I hid myself in the first place." _Temper, temper,_ Demonte said to himself.

"So you DO admit to hiding out, eh?" BDN chuckled and sat down on the bed next to Vash. "Are you gonna explain?"

"About the last seven years?" Vash blinked. "Can't we settle down for chit-chat in the morning?"

"No way, Vash. You aren't weaseling yourself out of this question. A lot of us were really torn apart to hear of your demise I'll have you know." BDN said, his voice tensing upon the moment.

Demonte leaned closer. So this was the infamous Vash the Stampede, eh? Not quite how Demonte had envisioned him. Actually, Demonte still wasn't quite convinced that this droopy-eyed moron was really the legendary Vash the Stampede. Demonte leaned his body against the wall, anticipating the upcoming conversation. He had pictured more of a green-scaled monster with greasy fangs and ten arms.

Vash hesitated. "My past…you want me to tell you about my past?"

"In a nutshell." BDN watched as his friend proceeded to bite his lip.

"A lot has happened you know. Mostly bad…are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Don't you think we have a right to know where you've been for the last few years?" BDN pressed on the subject.

__

Vash the Stampede doesn't have friends, Demonte thought to himself. _That's why he's beating around the bush. To him, this topic is of no one else's concern. Or maybe it's true that he is a complete faker after all. Vash the Stampede was rumored as a monster, not just a…MAN like this person._

"You're making this difficult," Vash said. "But if you want to know…I'll tell you what I remember." Vash hesitated. "I walked into a good friend of mine's church…and blood had stained the carpet…"

***

^_^ Yay! Vash is back! Aren't you guys happy? The whole gang is gonna be reunited shortly, but is there tension between Vash and the Insurance Girls? Flares are going to be rising tonight with these newfound questions that will be answered momentarily.

Let me know what you think of the story thus far and critiques (Nice ones) are always welcome as well as if questions or if you find something wrong with the story. As always, please R&R. Don't be lazy! Your words do count! ~_~' Heh, heh… 

BLD 


	9. And So The Blood Smeared The Halls

Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun, just my OC's and some of the cities. Oh yeah, and the plot. BTW please don't take this story. If you want to post it on your own site, e-mail me.

A/N: I've been getting e-mails wondering if this story was going to have some KIND of romance in it. Without spoiling too much (As to whom I'm pairing with whom) I will tell you that this does have romance in it. Not immediately, of course, but gradually it will happen. (Oh, and sorry for you lemon lovers, but there won't be any limes, lemons, etc. I like making fairly CLEAN fics.) Isn't that enough of a reason for you love-stricken people (like me ^_^) to read on? I hope so.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Eight

And So The Blood Smeared The Halls

__

"I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone

All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.

Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea

All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see  
  
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind"

-Kansas (Lyrics from Dust In The Wind)

****

"Oh, I'm jumping too far ahead now, aren't I?" Vash forced a laugh. "I guess I should just say that for the past few years I've been chased by my twin brother and his army of evil doers. My very good friend was killed by one of those same men and I was forced to kill a man myself. To be truthfully honest," Vash turned to BDN, his eyes glistening with unwanted tears. "This is a really touchy subject to be treading on, so I'll just get to what you want to know." BDN's face paled as he listened. "I just decided to leave when things got rough. I didn't run, I just got tired of being me."

Demonte watched as the life was drained from Vash. Who knew that this very man could hold any respectable emotions about anything? It was just so unlike the rumors that had been told.

"Vash…I…I had no idea what was really going on behind those curtains of yours…" BDN dropped his head. "I'm sorry." But another matter was brought to BDN's attention—The slick dark colored hair hidden behind Vash's normal goldenrod head. "Vash, your hair…your hair has changed color…"

"Hmm?" Vash reached up and combed a hand gently through his jet-black hair. "I suppose you could just say that this is my way of getting old." He seemed so calm over something that proved to be grave.

"Are you sure?" Concern rose in BDN's voice. "It seems much more severe than just getting old, Vash…"

"But it's just exactly that. When you get old, doesn't your hair turn gray?"

"Well…" BDN bit his lip, words failing him.

"Then you know what I mean…" Vash pushed himself from off the bed and headed for the bathroom, his black cloak tangling with his red trench coat. "Some things just don't need words to explain them."

Demonte stared out the window, darkness filling the room as the snores of his two companions kept him company. Vash the Stampede…? Alive? It was too much to comprehend. With everything going on behind the scenes in the Mafia and this too? Demonte blanketed the feeling of disgust welding inside of him. 

Then he felt rushed. He wanted to hurry, leave, and get out of town…before it was too late. The reminder that Celestia, Meryl, and her other little friend were still hot on his tracks was enough to get him moving. He would never obtain peace while dallying in town the way he was.

And maybe, perhaps, it wasn't all bad. Finding Vash the Stampede so coincidentally such as this had left a sweet taste in Demonte's mouth. Rohgsworn was always following the rumors of Vash the Stampede, even after his supposed death when the rumors had slowed themselves to a stop. If he could somehow manage to exchange words with his Boss about this matter, then things could get a little easier for the entire Mafia, and perhaps even Demonte would find out what was going on behind closed doors.

He turned slightly, and licked his lips as he trailed the linings of the city street, faint against the moon's glow. The fog could be so stubborn at times. He made sure not to trip on BDN, who had taken comfort next to Demonte's bed, and crept towards the door.

He turned the handle, and released it slowly. Then he spun on one foot and closed the door from the other side. He tightened his grip on the front of his cloak and wandered down the halls until he was outside. As his feet began to crunch beneath the ground, Demonte felt another pair echo behind him.

He stopped.

So did the intruder.

He breathed in deeply and, gaining courage, took extra precaution as he advanced towards the end of town. The second set of footsteps resumed after him.

_Someone is following me_, Demonte bit his lip. _Maybe I can run for it._

After a half pause, Demonte began to pick up speed and turned a corner, leading to the town's exit.

_This isn't working,_ He rolled his eyes as the footsteps behind him refused to slacken. _Dammit! I'll have to use force! Obviously, this guy wants something._

As the exit came into view, Demonte decided that it was now or never. Spinning around into a half circle, he reached for his gun and stopped the intruder in his tracks.

The intruder paused as Demonte's gun was kept solely on him. Finally, he slowly rose his hands into the air and Demonte was able to get a better look at him.

He wore a tan cowboy hat, one that extended out on all sides of the flaps. His matching colored trench coat swayed gently in the breeze and his black suit remained dim and empty to the moon's shadow.

"It's obvious by the attire you're wearing that you're a bounty hunter," Demonte said gruffly. "So, why were you following me?"

"I only wished to make sure that you made it out of this town with no intrusion."

"Intrusion?" Demonte was confused. "Intrusion!? YOU'RE the one who crept up on me! Just who the hell are you and why are you following me!?"

"I was about to explain before you proceeded with your pompous tantrum." Demonte held his tongue. "My name is Loose Ruth. You may have known me as Constance Rifle about four or five years ago."

"Yes," Demonte nodded absently, "I've heard of you. What business do you have with me?"

"I merely wanted to remind you about what your topic at hand currently is. Granus is a bit more important than hanging out with the Legendary Outlaw."

"Wha—You…" Demonte lowered his gun. "How do you know what my mission is? And how did you know that Vash the Stampede was alive?"

"I saw you and him talking in the window. He and I have some history together, no concern of yours, however. As for how I know what your current situation is, the Hell's Mafia is and has been my occupation."

"You mean…" Demonte stepped forward. "You work in Hell's Mafia?"

"A bounty hunter, yes, searching for things just like you…just like we all are, perhaps."

"But I've never heard about you being in the Hell's Mafia," Demonte lowered his head. "Could it be that Rohgsworn is keeping things from me even still?"

"Nonsense," Loose Ruth said. "He is only concerned for your mission and is leaving out pointless details. They will all be explained in full depth eventually."

Demonte wasn't convinced. "And so why are you here? Did he send you to look after me?"

"Actually, I was in town looking for the mass murderer who has taken the life of the Mayor and the people in the saloon. I am most certain that he is not of our own clan and so I have been investigating it. When I saw you in the window speaking to Vash the Stampede, I recognized it as you."

"I don't get it. If I've never seen you before, how could you tell it was me?"

"Simple," Loose Ruth shrugged. "Rohgsworn has told me about you and your mission. It's, of course, a very urgent mission. I only wanted you to pursue it, as do all of us in the Hell's Mafia."

"So you recognized me by the details my Boss has given you?"

"Precisely."

"Well," Demonte said, biting his lip. "This is different…"

"How so?"

"I never expected Rohgsworn to be publicizing my mission to all of our members. Usually, he keeps everyone's priorities under confidentiality."

"Well, perhaps you're a key to a main role that he wishes to accomplish and wants us to help you any way possible. Undermining Granus seems like a pretty rough task. Wouldn't you agree…" Then he smiled. "…Demonte?"

Demonte was stirred slightly by his words and the fact that he knew his name as well. But he quickly recovered, assuring himself that Rohgsworn's explanation of his plans to all of his fellow members was only for support and more investigation.

"I suppose," Demonte replied. "Yes Loose Ruth, perhaps you're right. I never knew how serious this plan was if Rohgsworn is involving all of my subordinates in this matter."

"Yes," Loose Ruth turned his head to the side, revealing his profile. "It is very important that you don't mess up." Silence was exchanged between the two until Loose Ruth suddenly walked past Demonte and out of the town's gate. "I'll be watching you, Demonte," He called over his shoulder. "We all….will be watching you…" Then Loose Ruth surprisingly…laughed? "And so…will others…"

His voice echoed in the distance as his silhouette faded into the dust storm. Demonte stood frozen, Loose Ruth's words running through his veins and back into his mind in an endless cycle.

Then he heard…whistling? He turned, a little too late, and was met with a spinning metal ball. The next thing he felt was the hard ground against his back. He stared up and a shadow hovered over him, grinning.

"So, you're the one associated with Hell's Mafia, eh?" The voice cackled. "I've heard about you. Your name is Demonte, isn't it?"

"How…" Demonte struggled to swallow his heart back into his chest. "How do you know who I am?"

"Everyone knows who you are. Everyone is looking for you. And…" The man leaned closer until his breath was barely touching Demonte's face. "They will find you…They will…"

Demonte knocked the man off of him and jumped back onto his feet. "Who the hell are you!?" Anger rose in his voice as he reached for his .44 and aimed it at his attacker.

"I am a dead man of no will, brought back upon this pitiful land by the hand of my savior." The attacker replied.

"Shut up!" Demonte commanded. "I have no time for your riddles! What's your name!?"

"The dead have no titles," The attacker chuckled.

"Bastard," Demonte gritted through clenched teeth. "Just who the hell do you think that you're messing with anyway!?"

"A silly…little…" The attacker stepped up, dragging something heavy across the ground, and knocked the gun from Demonte's hand. "…boy…" The attacker laughed. "So, show me what you're made of, _little boy_."

Demonte grew angry and extended his right arm in front of him. The wind slowly rose to a howl as lightening broke through Demonte's skin and encircled his arm.

"I will strike you down," Demonte vowed.

"With Forbidden Magicks?"

Demonte bit his tongue, unsure of how to respond.

"We all know that you possess Forbidden Magicks," The attacker continued. "You hold no surprise from us." The man leapt up into the air and curled himself inside of a metal shield that began to spin violently, like an unstoppable boulder. The electricity disappeared from Demonte's arm as the attacker began to sling himself into buildings, like a wrecking ball.

"S-Stop it!" Demonte began alarmed. "Your battle is with me, not these people!"

"Oh, having a change of heart, are we?" The attacker laughed as he set himself back on the ground, only a few feet away from Demonte. "I'm surprised that you were able to regain your natural human emotions. Well then, how about this? Quick, go save them."

The attacker snapped his fingers abruptly and silence filled the air. Demonte leaned forward, anticipating this man's actions. Demonte hadn't even noticed the sweat trailing down his face until he could taste a salty substance brush over his lips. Then, without warning, the entire city exploded into flames, as though Hell had plunged up from below and engulfed the city with a swipe of its hand. Demonte's face quivered with horror as he attempted to absorb what this man had just done.

"Why!?" Demonte shouted hoarsely, "Why did you do that!?"

"I will let you know now that your battle with me is not tonight. At the moment, I am attempting to lure 'him' out here…"

"Him?" Demonte questioned.

Then broken glass resounded in the night as two large bodies hit the ground. It was at that moment that Demonte had caught the vibes of his comrades.

"You're out to lure Vash aren't you!?" Demonte accused.

His attacker merely shrugged. "Can I help it if he still lives?"

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Demonte asked, picking his fallen gun up from the ground.

"You wouldn't understand."

Then, two new voices made their way to Demonte's ears, perking them up just slightly.

"Vash! I hear voices from over here!" BDN rounded the corner, Vash behind him. He halted sharply as he caught the sight of Demonte. "Dem!?"

"Quick! Both of you! Get out of here!" Demonte warned.

The attacker smiled widely as he spotted Vash.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat drug in." He laughed as he jumped into the air and began to spin violently, holding his shield close to him. "It's nice to see you again, Vash the Stampede."

Vash stopped dead in his tracks.

"I see that my plan worked. By eliminating all human life force in this city, I have managed to lure you out of hiding."

Vash was silent, except for the few little gasps escaping from his lips.

"You killed them all!?" BDN voiced Vash's question.

"It's not that big of a deal," The attacker said nonchalantly as he hurled his spinning body into a flaming building, igniting the flow of an eruption to follow.

Demonte shielded his eyes and watched the controversy rage on. What was Vash hiding?

"Stop it!" Vash cried. "Who are you!?"

"Who am I?" The attacker laughed. "Who AM I!? You of all people should know who I am! Because of you, I was killed and left to burn in the crevasses of the underworld! While you still live, we all are DEAD!"

Vash's mouth was left agape.

"But the real question should be, 'who are YOU'? After all, you ARE the one who is causing mayhem in all cities, unknowingly of course…" Vash watched as the attacker stopped rotating and landed neatly atop of a fiery building, hidden behind a dark shield. "Just to know that you are alive is enough to make my blood boil. I would tend to you personally, but there are others who wish to have the chance for a reunion with you. Besides, it is the will of my Master who demands to have the finishing blow on both your mind and body. Catch you later, Vash the Stampede!" The man howled in maniacal laughter as he disappeared into the night, leaving the burning city and all of its dead inhabitants behind.

Vash felt his voice leave him as he collapsed to his knees, weeping away.

"Vash," BDN kneeled beside him. "Just who the hell was that!?"

"I…don't know…" Vash gritted his teeth as he covered his tear-stained face. "All these people…it's all my fault…I…"

Demonte could bear it no more. "Vash!" BDN turned his attention towards him, but Vash's face refused to lift. "That man…how does he know you? He said that he died because of you. What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Vash said again. "Many people died because of me. And now, it begins again…"

BDN patted his friend on the back and looked at Demonte. "And just what the heck were you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

Demonte paused, unsure of how to respond. Surely he hadn't planned out this answer for he was certain that he wouldn't have gotten caught trying to escape town. So instead, he lied.

"I…I heard some noise in the street and came to check it out. That's when I met the man who attacked this city." Demonte couldn't see BDN's face clearly, as to know whether or not he had believed Demonte's lie. BDN did not respond, but Vash spoke up.

"He said that I kill people unknowingly…Tell me," Vash wiped his eyes as he looked up into BDN's melancholy face. "What happened before you found me?"

BDN bit his lip. "There was a murder—the Mayor. I came to inspect it and met Demonte here. I was certain that Demonte was the killer because of his attire of clothing, but I soon found out that it wasn't him because the real killer stepped in through the bar doors just then. He wore a long black trench coat and wielded a golden gun. His eyes were hidden by spectacles that appeared as though they had been smeared with blood and his hair was silver, illuminant with a kind of cold and icy fire, neither giving the look of a hero nor the look of a killer. He destroyed the bar with arcane powers and then tried to kill Demonte. But, for some unexplainable reason, he didn't. He only disappeared into darkness."

Vash turned his head away and spoke barely above audibility. "I was afraid of that."

"What's going on Vash?" Demonte asked, confused.

"For the past four years, there has been this man that follows me from town to town, killing people without my knowledge. Every time he appears, I am never conscious to realize it and…people die because I can't save them. BDN, that was another reason why I hid my identity. I wanted him to think that I was dead so that he would stop following me. But…it seems as though he is just as strong as before. He is the same man you described. I've never seen him, I've only used the rumors spread by cities to identify him."

"Vash, don't worry," BDN smiled weakly. "He won't harm anyone else because we're here. We'll get him." He looked at Demonte this time. "For now, I believe it to be safe to leave this town. There is no need for us here…" BDN broke his gaze from Demonte to the flames emerging from every building. "I'm sorry…but we have to get somewhere safe. We shall inform another city about this catastrophe once we reach Mahogany."

"Mahogany?" Demonte questioned.

"Yes, it is an underground city for refugees like ourselves. Once the flames cease, the city we contact will come back and bury the dead." BDN helped Vash to his feet. "I'm sorry…Vash…"

Demonte lowered his head. Had he let this all happen? If he had not attempted to leave…would this all be a dream, instead of a reality?

God only knew…

***

For those of you who were asking, the black evil 'Vash' is an action figure that (not by my knowledge) has never made an appearance in either the series or the manga. Without spoiling TOO much about the name or whatever (cause he plays a BIG part in this story and it contains my ideas cause I've never seen any English fics including this character) if you want to know more, search Google. BTW if you have any information about 'Black Vash' (Yes I do know his real name.) please let me know so I don't put him OOC (Out of character). Just in case I missed anything about him, I mean.

Anyway, what did you think about the chapter? More characters clearing the stage, and the next chapter will be full of surprises (just to stir you guys up, the Insurance…eh, I mean EX-Insurance girls ARE coming back to reacquaint themselves with Vash next chapter) and new things. R&R (Praises or constructive criticism please) please. And I thank those of you who have critiqued me nicely cause now I can become a better writer. ^_^ Just thought I'd share.

****

BLD


	10. Controversy

Disclaimer: Don't own Trigun, just my OC's and towns.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Nine

Controversy

__

"Do you wonder what you saw   


Floating softly at the Nile's edge?   


Wandering eyes   


Commitments never can last   


It feels so cold to know our name   


I've never known you and I never will   


What difference does indifference take?   


Do you regret what you saw   


Floating softly at the Nile's edge?   


Alone"

-Vast (Lyrics from The Nile's Edge)   


****

_"Yup," Wolfwood chewed on the end of his unlit cigarette. "That is one rare sight indeed."_

He glanced up and watched silently as the white powder precipitated softly, quilting the ground in a radiant silver tint. The silhouette next to him only nodded slowly and held out his gloved palm to catch some of the falling treasures. The gossamer feel of it reminded him of how it used to be.

"That's right," Vash closed his eyes and shivered from the cold. "This…is called snow, right?"

Wolfwood suppressed the urge to smoke the cigarette and put the stick back into his coat pocket. "Yeah, it's pretty funny that it would snow after all of this time, but I guess that it does fit the holiday."

Vash turned to look at him for the first time since the conversation began.

"Christmas…yeah…"

"You sound strange Needle-Noggin'. Something bothering you?"

"Nothing, just…remembering about my past…"

Wolfwood burst out into laughter.

"Well I guess that even you Outlaws have holidays too, huh?" Vash remained silent. "But it's nice to have snow. It doesn't happen too often, does it?"

"Not as often as it should."

"I agree." Wolfwood carried his feet out further into the dirt road and looked up into the night sky. "The last time I remember doing this was back when I was a kid." Then he began to whisper. "Has it really been that long…?"

The snow continued to fall, chilling the air, and silence eloped the night.

"How long has it been since you've had a Christmas, Vash?" Wolfwood asked after a long pause.

"I don't know. A long time I think."

"That long, huh? I'm sorry."

"How about you Wolfwood?"

"Eh? Not since I was back with the children at the orphanage, so about three or four years." He shrugged the thought of it off, like it was no big deal. "You just never get time to settle down with a tree in front of a fire and unwrap presents ya know? Besides, I never got presents from anyone but the kids anyway."

Vash stared at his comrade immensely, as though he were trying to see through his soul. Just what was that man thinking?

"I'm…sorry…" Vash lowered his eyes to the ground sorrowfully. 

"No, no," Wolfwood shook his head. "Don't commiserate with me, Vash the Stampede. It's not important. What's important now is that we actually do get to spend a Christmas right here with the girls." Wolfwood gestured to the vacant house they had been renting behind them.

Vash glanced back up, startled.

"But…"

Wolfwood laughed and padded back to his partner.

"It's Christmas Eve, Vash, let's not waste it by reminiscing over bad memories, shall we?" Wolfwood left Vash standing in the snow as he trotted up the steps and back into the warm atmosphere of wine and song.

"The last time I had a Christmas was with Rem…" A lone tear slipped from Vash's eye, leaving a warm trail of moisture behind it. Yes, that was right. Just leave the old memories to decadence.

Vash awoke with a start, and jerked the covers off of him. He paused, and took in his surroundings. Then he relaxed and fell backwards onto the pillow. Just another memory, that was all. He turned over in his bed. Then all of the previous night's events came flooding back to him. He bit his lip to keep from crying. They were back, Knives was back. They were back to haunt him, just like they had done for over a hundred years.

He barely remembered making it to Mahogany or to the tiny bed he had slept in. All he could remember was the pain, the cries, the screams and agony. When would this stop?

Demonte shuffled his feet down the narrow halls of the underground city. It was barely midmorning and he hadn't slept at all the previous night. Well, how could he? He scratched his forehead and turned back to look at all of the happy residents of Mahogany who had stayed awake after welcoming him and his companions to their extravagant city. The town reminded him strongly of Sanction with all of its liveliness. No one would be able to interlope onto their territory here, not with it being so far underground.

He paused and watched as two small children were busy playing with jacks and balls. He was amazed that this was such an early-bird city. The two boys laughed as they played and Demonte couldn't help but feel the ends of his lips turn up in a smile.

Suddenly, a sound reverberated in the area and the boys stopped playing.

"The alarm?" Demonte asked himself. Then he stiffened as the memories of the bar flooded back to him. Could the city be in trouble? He darted for the stairs and fled up them, jumping two or three at a time.

When he reached the top and was finally in the center of the great city, a crowd had already gathered and three figures were trapped in the center. Demonte's eyes widened and he feared that the intruders had already made it into the city. He withdrew his gun absentmindedly and aimed it at the three silhouettes.

"Stop there!" He commanded. "If you do not, I will have no choice but to proceed with drastic measures!"

The three assented to his words and stopped in their tracks. Demonte advanced towards them, never lowering his gun. "Good, now stay where you are."

"Dem!?" Demonte paused. That voice…

He watched as the figures came into view. He sighed, somewhat relieved that it was only Celestia, Meryl, and Milly. But…how had they gotten here?

"Demonte Kalabis!?" Meryl was taken aback. "Just what the hell are you doing here!?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" He snapped.

"Henai, you know this man?" Demonte brought his gaze up from the women to the men behind them.

Meryl also turned to look and nodded. "Ingway, it's only you. I feared for the worst when I saw Mr. Kalabis here…" She turned to look back towards Demonte, her eyes narrowing with a piercing glimmer of anger. "…ALONE, nonetheless."

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Henai," Another man behind Ingway spoke up. "He came here with Brilliant Dynamites Neon."

"Jean?" Meryl's eyes widened. "You mean that BDN is here too?"

Demonte shifted uncomfortably as a wave of nausea passed over him. So BDN and Meryl were acquainted? Was this all a farce to get him to help them? The reason why BDN accused him of killing the Mayor, why Meryl went through all the trouble of getting him to see the Governess…Could this all have been constructively planned by these people? Who WERE these people anyway?

"Mr. Ingway?" Milly held a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "I had no idea that you were in charge of a little town like this! The last time I saw you was about seven years ago when you were after Mr. Bostalk."

"Well, I'm surprised to see you too, little lady. It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Ingway tipped his hat to her. He looked the same way he had the last time they had met, only his face had seemed to age with the time. "Still, I'm not the one who is in charge here."

"We'll talk later," Meryl interrupted. "Marvin, how are things here?"

"Just as you had left them, ma'am."

"Good," Meryl turned her head back to Demonte, her eyes hard and icy as she stared him down. "And as for YOU! You sure pulled some crap back there and we went through hell trying to find you! If it wasn't for Celestia here, we wouldn't have been able to pick up your scent."

Demonte glanced at Celestia and shrugged, shifting uncomfortably.

"Why the hell did you run off like that anyway!?" Meryl put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Well?"

"Why are you following me?" He asked, his expression remaining unchanged.

It was Meryl's turn to become dumbfounded, as she had not been prepared for the questions to be turned on her. "Well, I…" Then she scowled. "Shut up, that's none of your business."

"Nor yours about me."

Meryl's face scrunched up with anger and she clenched her tiny fists tightly.

"Forget it." She groaned and tilted her head back in Ingway's direction. "Where is BDN?"

"In the Command Post," Ingway responded. "Would you like to meet up with him?"

"Yes, take us to him."

Ingway motioned her up front and the group turned and descended a flight of stairs. Demonte fell behind, slowing his pace against the cobblestone and kept his gaze pinned on the steel walls.

"You really are an ass, you know that?" He barely flinched at the oncoming voice.

"Celestia, I owe no explanation to you or anyone else."

"Tch," Celestia rolled her eyes. "As if I didn't know WHY you took off in the first place. This has to do with your job, right?" She tossed a loose strand of blonde hair over her shoulder. "Am I right?"

Demonte stayed silent and said nothing. Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. "Typical," She muttered. "I didn't tell them anything, you know. But we did have hell trying to find you. In fact, we only stopped in this town and met up with you by coincidence."

"Is that so?" Demonte asked.

"Yeah. I followed your scent to Cliff's, but you were already long gone. I didn't let the girls know exactly where Cliff's base was, for fear of your job. You can praise me for my loyalty later." Demonte glanced at her briefly. "Then I found you again about 20 iles outside Orleans. But I couldn't find you again after that until I saw you here. It was Meryl's idea to stop here anyway."

"Really? So she's acquainted with this place?"

"Apparently."

The conversation dulled and fell to complete silence.

_'I knew it…'_ Demonte muscles tightened. _'This was all planned for their benefit. I am only a puppet in their master play.'_

"Here," Demonte heard Marvin say. "He's in here."

Meryl stepped forward and knocked on the heavy plated door. After a moment of no response, the door opened slightly and a gruff voice was heard from the other side. "Who is it?"

"Henai," Meryl replied. "We need to talk."

"Henai?" Another short pause. "Come in."

The door was fully opened and BDN stood in the doorway. Meryl stared at him for a moment and then brushed past him, as did everyone else. "Take a seat everyone," Meryl commanded. "There is much to be discussed."

"Oh no," Demonte sighed, still disgusted with their antics. "Is this another lecture about the ruins and Forbidden Magicks?"

"This is not a lecture," Meryl glared icily at Demonte before taking a seat. "If you do not wish to participate, then please leave."

"I keep trying to!" Demonte shouted. "But your damn seek-out-and-take-hostage party keeps following me! I'll tell you once and only one time! I'm not interested in helping you, whatever you're trying to accomplish! I have vital business that I must conduct! I don't have the time to be dilly-dallying with you people!" Demonte turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

Meryl watched after him and cringed, as the door slammed shut behind Demonte.

"Perhaps…it wasn't best in bringing him here…" BDN drummed his fingers on the oak conference table.

"Why do you say that?" Celestia asked, a little shaken by her male companion's reaction to the turn of events.

"I knew that he was trying to leave, wasn't interested. I found him by the town gates at the time that Orleans was in flames." He nodded towards Meryl. "I am surmising that you indeed saw the ruins of the city, correct?"

"That is true," Meryl said. "I was hoping to ask you if you knew of its cause and if it was another of the town burnings that has been taking place for the past couple of years."

"I do, but I don't think that it was the enemy who did it this time." BDN stood up. "But before I go on, I think that there's something that you should know, Meryl." He looked at Milly and everyone else at the table. "All of you."

"Yes?" Meryl asked, anticipating the news.

"Vash…is…" BDN stopped and tried to regain his senses. "I know that this is hard to believe, being four years and all, but the blonde-haired bastard is alive."

Chairs screeched across the cobblestone as six figures stood up, their hands grasping the edge of the table tightly.

"Are…are you serious?" Meryl asked, her throat closing in and suffocating her.

"Mr. Vash is…" Tears welded in Milly's eyes. "Alive?"

"How can this be?" Ingway shook his head. "Don't you know that he's been dead for four years!?"

"I assure you that I am not lying," BDN remained nonchalant. "He is here now, in this very town."

"You're kidding!" Meryl began to race for the door. "What news! I have to see for myself!"

"Wait, Meryl!" Milly followed after. "I'll come too!"

Meryl was already long gone by the time Milly had reached the door.

"Milly, wait," BDN's voice stopped her in her tracks.

Milly turned. "Yes?"

"Maybe you should let Meryl be the first to see Vash." BDN suggested. "You'll see enough of him later."

Meryl panted; her lungs burning due to the lack of oxygen as she sprinted down the halls, jerking her head from left to right as she kept her eyes peeled for Vash. She cursed, realizing that she should have waited long enough to find out where in the city Vash was. Mahogany was a very big city.

She could feel her lips curl into a smile, her heart light and fluttery. She began to tremble with excitement. To think, Vash the Stampede was alive! All the nights she had worried and cried herself to sleep. He certainly had some explaining to do.

Finally, she came to a dead end—a water reserve. A large underground lake beheld itself in the area and machines lay at both ends of the lake, purifying the water for further use. She then spotted a blur of red and scrutinized the figure closely. Could it be?

Meryl quietly padded towards the figure, her gaze remaining unchanged. Then her heart stopped and the blood drained from her body. There, sitting on the lake's edge, was the Legendary Gunman, the Humanoid Typhoon, Vash the Stampede.

Her trembling intensified as she held her gaze on him. How could this be? He was alive? Impossible. But she couldn't explain the figure who sat before her now. Could it be a mirage? No, then that would be calling Brilliant Dynamites Neon a liar. And he was CERTAINLY no liar.

Vash must've felt her presence because he turned, and he mirrored Meryl's expression as he recognized the woman before him. Raven colored hair, violet eyes, and cream colored skin. It was the woman he had once known and the same woman whom he wished to forget. And then he remembered…

__

"Vash, you are the most annoying, most insensitive, most…" Vash stared at her, nonchalantly, as he took another bite out of his donut. 

"Most what?" He asked, already knowing that his 'so-called' incompetence would make his female companion angry. And he was right.

"MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE MORON THAT HAS BEEN MY MISFORTUNE TO KNOW!" She thundered and pounded a fist on the table. She was so cute when she was mad. 

Vash grinned and continued to eat his donuts. She growled and pointed a stern finger at him. Uh-oh, he had just crossed the line. She was going to give one of her 'I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone-speeches'.

"You are number one on my Most-Hated-People List!" Really? He had made it to the top already? "You are selfish, irresponsible, and above all, you…you…!" She couldn't find the word. Vash took this as an open window of opportunity and handed a donut to her.

"Want a donut?"

She looked astounded. How could he be asking her this after she was trying her hardest to make a point to him!?

"No I don't want a donut you moron! Ugh, you are IMPOSSIBLE to talk to!" She turned and stormed out of the bar, leaving him to his donuts.

All he had gotten out of that conversation was that he was annoying, insensitive, and the most moronic man alive. Yup, it was the usual speech. Vash had just learned how to deal with it, that's all. He finished his donuts in peace, listening to the bar's band in the background.

Meryl…

Meryl hesitated as she continued towards him and took a seat by his side. Silence filled the atmosphere until she finally forced herself to speak, fiddling with the ends of her black trench coat. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Longer than the last time you took off." She took note of his black hair, remembering when the roots first sprouted from his blonde hair. She grimaced, remembering his reaction, his pain, to the situation.

"I wasn't the one who took off though," Vash said, almost bitterly.

"We thought you died," Meryl argued, keeping her voice calm and settle.

"And then what?" Vash asked. "You couldn't wait around to see if I was alive?"

Meryl jerked her head towards him, disbelief in her eyes. "You were gone for five months! You just took off without saying anything except 'stay here until I come back'. And do you know how long we waited!? Well? Do you!?"

"The town's folk told me that you left after five months. You didn't even wait."

"How could you say that five months wasn't long enough!? You never came back, Vash! So we went looking for you!"

"Well, you couldn't have looked very far. You always seemed so experienced in finding me after all those years of following me. Now you're saying that you couldn't find me after just a few months of looking?"

Meryl paused. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying that I believe that you girls and my brother left once you got the chance. You couldn't have waited for very long or looked for me very far. I should've expected it, I guess."

Meryl arose to her feet and towered over Vash. "And just WHY the hell did we have to come looking for you!? Didn't you know where we were!? Besides, you were always trying to get RID of us! Why would it matter how long we waited!?"

"I had to settle some unfinished business." Vash stared up at the petite woman. "You promised that you would be there when I came back. I had to tend to Knives and I wanted to be there when he came out of his coma."

"Then why didn't you!?" Meryl retorted. "Was your unsettled 'business' just too important to be with Knives!?"

"You wouldn't understand," He dropped his head and clenched his teeth.

"Wouldn't understand!?" Meryl restrained herself from choking the blonde gunman. "You were gone for four years and I 'wouldn't understand'!?"

"That's right, you wouldn't. Because even 'I' don't understand it."

"Then why, Vash? Why?" Meryl kneeled by his side. "Why does it have to be this way?"

"Why didn't you stay?" Vash turned towards her, his eyes narrowing. "You said that you would stay no matter what!" Vash stood up, now his turn to tower over Meryl. "I was lost. I couldn't get back. For you to leave…" Vash brushed past her. "I almost felt forgotten." Meryl stared after him, tears welding up in her eyes.

"V-Vash…!" She called back to him.

"Leave me alone…" He said, icily.

Demonte watched from a view, far away from the argument, but not far enough to not hear what was being said.

"So," He whispered. "The two are fighting and one is blaming the other for what seems to be a past event. He blames her for leaving and she blames him for staying gone so long. Hmmm…" Demonte watched as Meryl stared after Vash's retreating form. "I wonder what happened on that day...?" He paused, unsure of what to do. Should he stay and observe these two, or should he continue up ahead to Roklen?

It was a tough choice but even if Granus was stopped, there would still be the matter of the Insurrection Task Force. Maybe if he could convince Vash the Stampede to dispose of the I.T.F. then his job would become much, much easier. Perhaps staying wouldn't be such a bad idea after all…

***

Hmmm…what a controversy. Demonte's not the only one wondering what happened on that day. ponders harder.

Oh well, we shall find out with time.

R&R please! Show me you care lol ^_^' Until next time my devoted readers…

BLD


	11. Finding Millions Knives

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own Trigun, just my story line, OC's, and some of the cities.

A/N: I've been receiving some e-mails from people who say that they are becoming confused with the story. While that is perfectly normal, I encourage people to e-mail me and tell me what they don't understand. I'd be happy to help ya guys out! Don't you hate it when someone writes a great story but you just don't understand it? ^_^' I've had that happen more than enough. So come on down and e-mail me! Don't be shy! I'm a nice person! Honest. grin

Not to mention, I've realized that FF.Net has been acting up and people can't get to other peoples' stories or my own. Well (despite my encounters with it. It really was a shame that about SEVEN of my reviews in the past week were deleted for my other story, Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love…Not) I'll tell you all what. Because I love you all and hate to watch you suffer in misery because you can't get to a story (It's happen to me, believe me. I can't tell you how close I was to chucking my comp out the window) if you see another chapter up for any of my stories and you can't get to them, please e-mail me and I'll send you the chapter personally.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Ten

Finding Millions Knives

__

"Where have you gone

  
My love

  
My friend

  
Somewhere without the rain

  
I feel afraid now

  
I feel alone

  
Will we meet again?

  
Can you recall what we once knew? 

  
Somewhere without the pain 

I feel afraid now

  
But not alone 

We will meet again" 

-Vast (Lyrics from 'We Will Meet Again")

****

"And thus concludes how we were able to make our way to Mahogany without further interference," BDN chewed on his bottom lip. "So now that we've heard the girls' point of view and vise-versa, that just leaves the matter of why we're here."

BDN was interrupted by the sound of a closing door and he looked up. Vash nervously made his way to an empty chair and sat in it. "Sorry I'm late," He apologized. "The man outside said that you were having a meeting and that I should attend. So, what did I miss?"

The life was drained from the room as all eyes were glued upon the Legendary Gunman, a man who had been declared dead four years ago. "Was it something I said?" Vash turned to BDN.

"Mister Vash!" Milly nearly toppled over her chair as she jumped up and embraced the Humanoid Typhoon.

Startled by this abrupt turn of events, Vash eased himself from Milly's grasp and backed up into the opposite wall. "Hey, hey!"

_'Vash the Stampede,'_ Celestia pondered to herself. _'So THAT'S the legendary gunman? Not much for show, but he IS kinda cute.'_

"So, Vash," Ingway arose from his chair. "You're alive after all."

"Ingway?" Vash's eyebrows rose upon complete shock. "What are you and your men doing here?"

"We are the bodyguards of this city," Marvin intercepted the question. "BDN and this city have befriended each other and in return, we help one another."

Vash turned towards BDN. "You never told me that you knew Ingway and his men!"

BDN shrugged. "I wasn't even aware that you were acquainted with them."

"Mr. Vash!" Milly piped up, her green trench coat swaying as she approached him. "What happened? Why did you disappear? Why?"

Vash backed away from her quickly, as though she were carrying a deadly plague. "It's a long story," He replied. "You don't want to hear it."

"I'm afraid that we do, Vash," Ingway spoke up. "We are deeply interested in your disappearance."

"Well," Vash said hastily. "I'll save the story for another rainy day. For now, I would like to know what is going on here."

"Have it your way," Ingway sighed and sat back in his chair, as did the rest of the individuals in the room. "You have heard about the town burnings in the east, near the ruins, correct?"

"Yeah," Vash nodded. "Aren't they being caused by some Mafia or group or something?"

Celestia shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Precisely," Jean spoke up for the first time since Vash had entered the room. "These burnings have been coming closer to the city of Sanction, our sister city. They have not yet crossed through the Eastern Ruins to reach Sanction, but we fear that they will decide to not pass up Sanction and commence their burnings there."

"So you're investigating the situation in order to stop it from happening." Vash said. "Am I right?"

"Exactly," BDN took over the conversation. "As I told you before, I was on business when the Mayor was killed in Orleans. This was the business that I spoke of."

"To find out who was causing the town burnings." Vash nodded his head in understanding.

"We are only out to protect the cities and the people from turmoil," Ingway said. "It is a miracle that you were brought to us in our time of need. We wish to know what it is that this group of people want and why they choose to burn down these cities."

"Wait," Vash held his hands up, "Time out." He glanced at BDN. "Brilliant, you do remember that man who burned down Orleans, right?" Vash waited for his companion to nod before continuing. "What if he's the one doing it? He told me that he was a man from the dead, back for revenge. The only thing I can figure is that man is burning these towns because he's looking for me, to make me notice, to…" Vash stopped…

…and he was haunted by flashbacks…

_The stone carvings written in so many deserted towns. Written in blood was only one word…_

…Knives…

Vash jerked his head around to face Milly. He had to be sure. "What happened to Knives?"

Milly shrugged. "I'm not sure. He was with Meryl when I left. He had woken from his coma and was well but about a year after I left, I received a letter from Meryl telling me that he just disappeared...He hadn't even told her that he was leaving."

"Then that's it!" Vash pushed his chair back and all eyes were on him, curious as to know what he had found.

"Vash, what are you talking about?" Ingway narrowed his eyes, as though he were trying to convey Vash's thoughts into his own mind.

Vash sighed, feeling the pain of having to explain the story once again. "My twin brother, Knives, has been trying to hunt me down for many years now. What he wants is revenge…revenge for refusal to take part in his plans to dominate the world. He would hypnotize people, take them far away, kill them, and leave towns deserted. It wasn't up until a few years ago that I bested him in a battle of arms and I took him back, hoping to change his will about humans and life.

"Apparently, my efforts have been in vain if this has been happening. He once held a band of demons called the 'Gung-ho Guns' that helped him accomplish his dirty deeds. I wouldn't put it past him if he has once again risen to challenge the human race…and myself."

"But Mr. Knives was so different the last time I saw him!" Milly protested. "What you're saying can't be true about Mr. Knives."

"Then who else is doing this?" Vash asked. "It has to be Knives."

Celestia felt her head drop. This was new. Celestia was almost certain that Hell's Mafia was behind the town burnings, but what if Vash was right? What if Rohgsworn was being played as a puppet and Knives was the real puppeteer in all of this? Then Demonte…could be trouble too…

"All right," BDN spoke, his voice booming. "So our real enemy is Knives. What do you suggest we do Vash?"

"I think that we should go to the Eastern Ruins and block him from coming any further to Sanction. How far are the ruins from here?"

"Not too far," Marvin announced. "Only about 200 iles from here."

"But how will we get there?" Milly asked. "I'm so tired of walking. There has to be an easier way."

"Ah, true," Ingway smiled. "I think we will be able to get a hold of a personal bus, one that is locked away in the basement of this town."

"Really!?" Milly clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful!"

"But I'm the only one who can operate it," Ingway added. "So I'm driving."

"All right," BDN grinned. "Let's make this flashy guys! We'll select a team. Who's going? Well, me, obviously. But who else?"

"I will," Milly volunteered. "My stun gun will teach those men a lesson!"

"…Right," BDN blinked and then laughed. "That's three, who else?"

Celestia looked at everyone, hesitantly. She knew that she was supporting Demonte, but the thought of more people dying in these burnings made her stomach churn. She slowly raised her hand. "I will too," She whispered barely above audibility.

"Miss?" BDN looked at her, a little baffled. "What can you do? This is for real men you know…"

"I know that!" Wood screeched across the cobblestone. "I don't need some big hotshot telling me that!" Celestia sighed and lowered her head as she leaned on the table's edge with her tightened arms. "I have this," Celestia withdrew her .44 Calibre Revolver from her gown. "I can work this and I can lead you to the Mafia."

BDN sneered. "How?"

"Miss Celestia's a psychic!" Milly chimed in on the argument.

"A psychic, huh?" BDN stared at Milly with disbelief. "Prove it."

"Fine," Celestia growled and then paused, keeping her eyes closed as she began to pry herself into BDN's head. Sounds engulfed her mind as she began to envision a sand steamer in her own thoughts.

_A lengthy sand steamer runs down the tracks. As it approaches a familiar canyon, the chugging of the axles can be heard as though in a dream. A pillar of smoke rises up and drifts backwards, partially blocking the cloudless sky and blotting out the moon and the gleaming stars. The tracks seem to bend under the weight of the cars as the sand steamer passes over the terrain, and then it passes away into the distance of the Lottenburg Canyon… _

"In one of your raids on the sand steamers, men were awaiting you from inside. They knew you were coming…" The sounds of the engines reverberated in her ears, as though the sand steamer had truly been right in front of her. The wheels upon the tracks, the steam pouring into the night sky, and the whistle. She could hear it all. "When you and your men broke in, gunfire arose and your men were taken by surprise." Celestia opened her eyes, her face tensed. "Yes…you were taken by surprise. Most of your men were killed on that raid." Celestia glanced up, her glassy eyes meeting BDN's. "Your best friend died trying to save you."

BDN felt his body go numb as this woman recited his past.

"His name was Beremy…wasn't it?" Celestia shook her head. "You survived. But you didn't retire from the Bad Lad Gang at all, did you? Your men were killed, so there was no clan to go back to. From there, someone helped you…Someone helped you to turn over a new leaf and you decided to associate yourself with these people…am I right?"

All eyes were on BDN as they watched, his head lowered, and his shoulders began to shake. Then, a most staggering thing occurred. Brilliant Dynamites Neon…began to weep.

"That's right," He choked. "I would be damned amazed at your gift, but you nailed me…" He held his face in his hands, his elbows perched upon the table, as he cried.

"Mr. Neon," Milly's face saddened.

"I'm sorry," Celestia turned away. "I shouldn't have done that. Forgive me."

"Is that true…?" Vash asked, his voice breaking. "Brilliant?"

"It's true," He murmured. "Every damn thing." He wiped his eyes, but his shoulders still shook. "I put my men's lives in danger. I should've given up the gang after our encounter Vash…I guess that this was the Lord's way of punishing me."

"No one deserves to die," Vash told him. "Brilliant…I…"

"BDN," Ingway turned his head towards the people at the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. But…" He paused. "…Miss Celestia, your powers are remarkable. I will place you on the team."

"I'm sorry I had to go to such drastic measures to prove my worth," Celestia said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," BDN shook his head. "We don't have time for my bawling." He laughed half-heartedly. "We have to make the scouting team."

"I'll take over, BDN," Ingway told the hefty man. "We have four, who else will go?"

"I will," Vash held his hand up. "This is my brother that we're dealing with; I will go."

"As will I," Everyone turned at the sound of the voice. Meryl stood in the doorway, her head hanging so that her bangs covered her eyes.

"Meryl," Milly stood up. "We didn't even hear you walk in."

"I'll go," Meryl ignored Milly. "If it's indeed Knives who is responsible for this…I…I…"

"You're all going where?" Demonte asked, walking through the door, brushing past Meryl.

"Hey!" Celestia turned towards Demonte, anger flaring in her eyes. "I thought that you were gone!"

"I decided to stay," Demonte said. "I apologize for my sudden outburst earlier." He held his gaze on Ingway. "I'll go, wherever you're all going."

"It's pretty damn late to volunteer, Kalabis," Jean slammed his fist upon the table. "Our decision has been made and only six of us are going to the ruins!"

"The ruins?" Demonte rose his eyebrows. "You're after the people who are responsible for the burnings?"

"That's right!" Jean stood up and slid himself from his chair.

"Then that's all the better for me to go." Demonte said.

"I wouldn't let you attend this if you were…"

"That's enough!" BDN held his hard gaze on the two. "Demonte can go, under my supervision."

"What!?" Demonte screeched.

"It's true," BDN lowered his voice. "I don't need you sneaking off again. You can only go if you're under my supervision."

Demonte sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever."

"Good," Ingway nodded. "The decision has been made. I'll start up the bus and we can go there right away." He turned his attention towards Jean and Marvin. "You two go rack up the food and ammo and other supplies that we'll need."

"Roger," The two replied in unison.

"So, where are these ruins that we're going to anyway?" Demonte asked his seat partner on the bus.

"The Enora Precipice," BDN licked his lips. "It's the same place that I wanted to crash the sand steamer when I met Vash. Damn, that brings back memories."

"Oh," Demonte leaned back in his seat. "I never knew that those cliffs had been excavated into ruins that led to the other side of the crevasse."

"Yeah," BDN nodded. "They were excavated by Granus about two years ago when they were conducting the Crystal Processor. They drilled the caves and they were turned into ruins."

"That explains it." Demonte stretched in his seat and turned around the back of the seat. Vash was sitting with Celestia while Meryl was sitting with Milly. Ingway was the bus driver. "So how long until we get there?"

"About six hours. Just sleep if you want, it's gonna be a long drive."

"We're driving that fast? I thought the ruins were pretty far away."

"He's going as fast as he can," BDN said, leaning his head against the seat and closing his eyes. "But no matter how much you protest, he's still going as fast as he can."

Demonte sighed. "I've always hated bus drives."

But the only reply he got was the silent snore from his hefty friend. Demonte chuckled and decided to sleep, seeing as that would be the furthest thing from his mind once they reached the ruins.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes behind his hood. From across the aisle, Vash and Celestia slept, both leaning on each other and Meryl watched with detestation in her seat a few rows back. 

"Oh boy, he hasn't changed." Meryl scowled and folded her arms across her chest.

"Are you referring to Mr. Vash or to Miss Celestia, Meryl?"

"HIM!" She nearly shouted. "I mean, LOOK at him! He's as bad as when we were following him all those years ago!" 

"I actually miss those times," Milly sighed. "Everything was so much fun back then."

"Fun? Fun!?" Meryl rolled her eyes. "I consider a stack of paperwork more FUN than…than…" Meryl sighed. "But look at us now. We're following HIM again."

"Well, aren't you glad that he's alive, Meryl?"

Then Meryl grew serious, and her eyes welded up with silent tears. "No. I thought that I would be, but not anymore."

Milly blinked, astonished. "Are you serious? You were so depressed when you found out about his death. You didn't leave the room for days. I think even Mr. Knives was concerned for you."

"That was then, and this is now," Meryl whispered. "I found out that he was just hiding and wasn't even dead at all. When I talked to him, he was rambling on about us not waiting for him and how we abandoned him."

"I suppose," Milly bit her lip. "That that's the reason for him not wanting to sit by either of us. Did you see the big protest he made about that?"

"Yes," Meryl nodded. "I did."

Milly lowered her eyes. "I didn't mean for him to be mad at us."

"It's not our fault, Milly." Meryl assured. "He's the one who left without even saying where he was going or when he'd be back!"

"When I saw him, I was thinking of the good times," Milly smiled sadly. "But I guess…that those are never coming back. Mr. Wolfwood and Mr. Vash…" Tears flooded Milly's eyes.

"Milly," Meryl held a tissue out for her weeping friend. "Don't cry, please…"

"Oh I'm sorry, Meryl," Milly blew her nose. "I shouldn't be rambling on like this. Forgive me. I'm going to get myself cleaned up," She rushed her words and hurried up from her seat and to the bathroom.

Meryl stared after her friend and closed her eyes. She hadn't known when she had fallen asleep herself, until she found herself to be in an unfamiliar land.

_Meryl pulled her knees closer to her chest as she looked over the cliff and on downwards where a town sat peacefully. Wiping the tears from her eyes, a thousand thoughts passed through her mind._

"Quite the little adversary, aren't we?"

Meryl spun around to find nothing.

"Huh?" Meryl blinked slowly.

"I see we're going to have a little problem…"

The scene shifted before Meryl's eyes and in an instant, her footing was gone and she was falling, screaming. Screaming? No. Not even the sound from her voice would come. 

Then she landed, hard, on the ground below her. Meryl felt as though she didn't have the strength to stand. Someone had just taken her energy and left her helpless.

"Welcome…to Arcadia…" Meryl forced herself to glance up and absorb her surroundings. Black storm clouds hovered in the gray lifeless sky. The aura of the world seemed empty…desolate and cold.

"This place…it's…" 

"This place is the future of your planet." The same feminine voice from before finished her thought. "The demise of the human race and of any kind of Human Eden. This is MY Eden."

Meryl held her breath. Did she just say…Eden?

"How far into the future?" Meryl found herself asking.

"Oh not long. Isn't it splendid?"

"And this…this is all your doing?"

"Well I wouldn't give myself ALL the credit…After all, this wouldn't be the lovely place it is today without the help of the Gods."

"What!?" Meryl looked up into the atmosphere. "What are you talking about!?"

"Oh ho ho! Mum's the word."

A figure materialized in front of Meryl, it was Vash.

"Vash?" Meryl was stunned.

Vash threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "You really are a naïve little girl, aren't you?" The figure shape shifted into someone Meryl hadn't seen in a very long time. "Who…are you?" Meryl's voice cracked as she stared face to face with Nicholas D. Wolfwood.

"I am you, I am everyone." The Wolfwood look-alike held up his hand and a crystallized sword materialized into it. He laughed as he stepped forward and rested it under Meryl's chin. "And you, Meryl, are the first one of 'THEM' ever to set foot in my humble abode." The Wolfwood look-alike slit Meryl's throat, just enough to singe the surface. Blood streamed down Meryl's neck and stained her black trench coat. "You are also a problem." The Wolfwood look-alike smiled and turned to look at the dead plains ahead.

Meryl brought a hand up to the wound and looked up at the man. "What do you want with me!? Why are you impersonating Wolfwood and Vash!?" She demanded. In an instant, a sword no longer was in Wolfwood's hand, but a revolver had taken its place. Wolfwood turned and pointed the barrel at Meryl's head.

"I want you dead. You…are the only thing standing between Vash and myself. Your friend, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, is just a pawn in my little game." Wolfwood's face did not soften, but he did drop the gun from Meryl's head. "And soon…Vash will become mine."

Meryl jerked out of her seat and fell to the ground as Wolfwood's laughter echoed in the air.

"Meryl!" Milly jumped, startled at Meryl's performance. "Are you okay Meryl!?"

Everyone on the bus who was sleeping (and even those who were not) diverted their attention to Meryl.

Meryl began to breathe irregularly and coughed, her lungs tightening. She quickly felt about her neck for any kind of wound but found none. She sighed happily. It was just a dream. "I'm fine," She choked out. "Let me go to the bathroom." She hopped over Milly's legs and dashed to the bathroom.

Once inside, she locked the door and splashed water on her face. She looked up in the mirror. "What a nightmare," She mumbled. "A shape-shifter and a deserted planet. Damn, how else can things get worse?" She sighed. "Plus, the dead priest was in my dreams." She began to shake and nausea overtook her.

She jerked downwards and held her hands on the edge of the sink as her insides were emptied forcefully. She coughed and cried as her head remained hung over the sink. "Why?" She whispered. "Why God, why?" Then a knock came to the door, and Meryl reached back to unlock it.

She had not bothered to turn her head to look at the figure, as she had thought it to be only Milly. Then she felt a gloved hand begin to rub her back as she coughed and spit saliva and excess fluids from her mouth.

She stiffened. _Vash?_

"I'm sorry," She recognized the voice, and her heart sank. "I'll take it that you just woke from a nightmare."

"Demonte," She whispered, a bit startled, and then nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry…I thought that you were someone else."

"Don't worry about it. Are you okay now?"

"A little. It was a very unpleasant dream, plus, I saw a dead friend of mine."

"I am very sorry," He mumbled. "I'm not a people person, so I don't know what else to say in these kinds of situations."

"It's all right," She said as he handed her a paper towel and she wiped her mouth. "I know that it must be tough for you."

She disposed of the paper towel and turned around to look at him. She was silent for a moment, her eyes held on the fabric of his cloak. Then her body began to shake once more and she threw her arms around him, wailing uncontrollably. He hesitated, but returned the hug.

Demonte looked down and felt a strange, yet warm aura come from this girl.

_"So…on the first evening of pebble, from somewhere out of nowhere drops upon the dreaming world…"_

Demonte began to hum absentmindedly to the tune that lingered in his mind and then he abruptly stopped as Meryl looked up.

"So, you know that song too?" She asked.

"I don't know," He told her. "I just remember it as a lullaby from my early childhood."

"Me too," Meryl said. "It's quite an old song."

"Yes…" Demonte closed his eyes, pondering about how the song had even gotten into his head in the first place. "Yes it is…"

***

And so the plot thickens…Hmmm…there definitely WAS a reason why Demonte was OOC (out of character) during the last part of the chapter…^_^ You'll all find out why eventually… R&R as always please.

BLD


	12. Inside Of The Ruins

Disclaimer: I forgot…Oh wait, yeah, I remember now. I STILL don't own anything but my OC's, the plot, and some town names. ¬.¬ Sheesh. 

☺ ♪ ♫ ☼

****

Engel: Sacrifice

****

Chapter Eleven

Inside Of The Ruins

__

"Roaming sheep in search of the place you've never known  


Better take a breath until you can hear the sign  


Roaming sheep in search of the place you've never seen  


Better watch your step until you can find the key  


Roaming sheep in search of the place you may never reach  


Better love yourself; tomorrow's another day."

-Final Fantasy III (Lyrics from Roaming Sheep)

****

The rest of the bus trip was held in silence, and Demonte offered to switch seats to keep Meryl company. Milly happily agreed to switch her seat, but BDN was hesitant.

"I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you," He said, "I'd be breaking my orders if I let you switch."

"I know, but I think that it would be wise if you let me switch," Demonte argued and gestured a few seats back, where Meryl sat. "Didn't you see what happened?"

"Milly can comfort her, Demonte, she doesn't need you."

Demonte stiffened, feeling a little bitter towards the remark.

"Besides," BDN continued, "Since when did you start caring about peoples' well-being?"

"I wouldn't be talking about the well-being of other people, you know. I'm not the one who acts just for myself and puts my men in jeopardy. I work alone." He mumbled.

BDN arose from his seat, furious. "What did you say!?"

Demonte merely stared at him, insouciance replacing his bitter aura. "You heard me. To say that no one is needed, it's the same as saying that it was a mistake that God himself put you upon this desert planet."

BDN paused, sealing his anger within his clenched fists. "Sit down, Demonte," He pointed to the seat next to himself. "And shut up. Or you'll be on the next bus ride back to Mahogany."

Demonte didn't care one way or the other, but he wanted to find out what the Mafia was up to in the ruins, so he obliged and sat down. "Have it your way," He said, adjusting himself in the seat. "But you know I'm right."

"That's enough out of you!"

Demonte was awoken to a terrible jerk in the bus. He opened his eyes and glanced outside, absorbing his surroundings. It was mid-morning.

"The fog will make it hard to see," BDN said to him. "But we'll have to get by." Demonte sighed, feeling somewhat apologetically to last night's argument. But he refused to apologize. It just wasn't his nature.

"Attention passengers," Ingway came onto the loud speaker. "Please excuse the abrupt stop, but as you can see, we've made it to the Enora Precipice without interference. Once everyone is off the bus, we can figure out what to do next."

Everyone mumbled and within a few minutes, the seven were off the bus and discussing the layout of the ruins.

"As you all know," Ingway said, holding out a map of the ruins. "The Enora Precipice was excavated by Granus a few years ago and made into these ruins. These ruins led to another part of the planet, one that had not been discovered by this side of the planet."

"So in short," Vash said, "This is a bridge that leads to the other side of the planet."

"Correct," Ingway nodded. "Most of the cities there have been victims of the town burnings, but everyone is working hard to restore their towns to peaceful states, thanks to the donations made by other cities."

BDN took over. "Our objective is to stop these people from entering the ruins, destroying the only link we have to the other side of the world, and succeeding in crossing over to our lands and turning the Western Side of Gunsmoke into the same as the Eastern Side."

Everyone nodded and Ingway peered inside of the cave. "Good, then let's get moving."

The Governess of Sanction jumped in her seat as a chain of knocks came upon her door.

"Come in," Stefany called out as she returned to her paperwork, her heart still pounding in her chest.

"Governess, I have finally found you." Stefany glanced up. There in her doorway stood a man in a heavy long-sleeved dark shirt and matching pants. His black hair hung in his face but his eyes stared at her with intensity from behind his bangs.

"Who are you?" She asked, arising from her seat.

"My name is Badwick," The man told her. "I've been looking for you for a long time."

"Badwick," Stefany ran the name through her mind over and over again. "Oh yes, I remember who you are. Your parents owned some land a few years back full of Geo Plants, didn't they?" Badwick nodded.

"It was a very valuable piece of property." He explained. "A man named Morgan wanted the deed to our land and intended to go about getting it any way he could. Luckily, I managed to get the deed to City Hall before he could stop me." Badwick paused. "The land was entitled to me. But Morgan did not stop there."

"What…what did he do?" Stefany hesitated to ask.

"He murdered both of my parents." He lowered his head. "The land was burned to the ground about five months ago when my parents were both killed. I went searching for you immediately afterwards. I knew that Morgan was responsible for it all. And I had heard about you…" His eyes lifted. "Governess."

"Badwick," Stefany's eyes softened.

"I know about you and about what you are, so you don't have anything to fear. I don't want to attack you."

"Of course," She nodded.

"I want you to know that I've decided to join as well. I want to help."

Stefany's eyes widened. "Are you serious!?"

"I have the skills, the wits, and the will to do so." He looked at her, determination burning in his eyes. "Please, to avenge my parents' land that they both worked so hard to plow and defend."

She paused. "Are you sure? Once you do this, you will never be a free person ever again. You must be weary of everyone and everything…" She lowered her head. "…As even your closest friends may be the enemy also."

"I am well aware of the consequences."

She left her mouth agape, as though she had intended to say more, but stopped. "All right," She mumbled. "Come with me."

Demonte wandered the halls, gazing upon the ruins with curiosity. His companions walked farther past him, and Demonte felt himself slowing his pace purposely.

"You're not planning on getting lost, are you?" BDN pushed him from behind, surprising Demonte. "Quicken your walk there, pal."

"I didn't even see you behind me," Demonte held his heart with his right hand. "You nearly gave me a heart attack Old Man!"

"Serves you right," BDN said. Soon, the two were right behind Milly and Celestia.

"How far down do these ruins go?" Celestia asked Milly.

"About ten iles." BDN spoke up from behind.

"TEN ILES!?" Celestia shrieked as she spun around to gaze at Demonte and BDN.

"Then we have to cross the bridge and then go back up for another ten iles."

Celestia sighed and slumped over. "Man, that sucks. We just should've waited for them to come this way."

"By then, the bridge would've been destroyed," BDN said. "We have to make sure that they don't taint the ruins. It's the only way over to this part of Gunsmoke."

"You mean to say that the whole eastern side of Gunsmoke has been isolated up until a few years ago?" Milly asked.

"Well, besides its few inhabitants and cities, yes, it has." BDN announced.

"What's so important over here anyway? I mean, why do we have to protect the bridge?" Celestia glanced over at the larger man.

"There are a few scientific things being conducted over here. Besides, there's an important ruin over on this side of Gunsmoke." He replied.

"Oh," Celestia nodded and stifled a yawn. "I suppose that that makes sense."

But after three hours of nonstop walking, the seven became restless and offered to take a break.

"Boy," Milly said, stretching and then sat herself down upon a rock. "I haven't had to do this much walking since we were traveling with Mr. Vash."

From the opposite side of Milly, Meryl heard Vash grunt virulently.

"How far down are we?" Vash asked their navigator.

"About 5 and a half iles." Ingway replied. "With any luck, we'll be able to make it by dusk."

Everyone groaned and Ingway laughed. "Don't worry, once we find the men who are burning down these peaceful cities, it will all be over."

__

Or…will it? Demonte pondered to himself.

"I sure hope so," Vash smiled. "I really don't like adventuring very much."

Meryl lowered her head and tugged her knees closer to her chest.

"I think most of us are used to it," BDN said, standing up. "Another two minutes and we have to get back to the task at hand."

"Aww," Celestia sighed heavily. "Already?"

"Come on, you're all troopers!" BDN laughed. "You can do it."

"Yeah right," Celestia mumbled.

When the bridge came into sight, light poured into the ruin exit and blinded the eyes of Demonte and his companions.

"Finally," Demonte smirked. "It's about time."

"Don't forget, we have to cross the other side too," Milly told him.

"Yeah, it's a real pain actually." Demonte said, stretching his back.

They gathered around the bridge, looking down into the darkness below.

"I sure wouldn't want to fall into that," Celestia said, gripping the ropes on both sides of the bridge tighter. "I'll bet that there isn't even a bottom."

"Stop being so pessimistic," Demonte told her. "Then you'll definitely fall in."

Celestia scowled. "Hey! You're not helping!"

"Quick bickering you two," BDN turned his head. "If you want, I'll go first."

"Sure," Celestia and Demonte both replied in unison.

BDN prepared himself and started across the bridge. Ingway followed after, and then came Vash. Finally, Celestia and Demonte were the last.

"You go first," She told him.

"Why? Ladies first," He retorted.

"But you're supposed to protect the women!"

"Women? Where?" Demonte asked, looking around.

"Why you…!" Celestia wound her arm back and sent it flying towards Demonte's face. He caught it with ease and looked at her.

"You're too slow." He turned and began to walk across the bridge.

"Slow!?" She stomped her foot. "I'll show you slow!" She huffed after Demonte, shaking the bridge from side to side violently. On the other side of the bridge, Demonte met with his waiting companions and Ingway continued ahead.

"Ten iles left," Ingway told them. "And we'll be on the other side."

Rohgsworn licked his lips and turned, holding his arms behind his back. "Very well, how are things going?"

Loose Ruth nodded and bowed. "Better than anticipated."

"And Demonte?" Rohgsworn poured himself a shot of brandy and sipped off the glass.

"He's still with them. I told him to be careful, but I'm not sure if he understands the importance of this mission."

"I see," Rohgsworn nodded, "Then we'll just have to show him the importance. How is the Eastern Side faring?"

"They'll be there by nightfall. However…"

"Yes?" Rohgsworn seated himself in his leather recliner. "What's the matter?"

"They aren't alone," Loose Ruth said.

"Oh, who cares?" Rohgsworn laughed and waved it off. "They are equally matched in strength. They'll tear the interlopers from limb to limb. We will burn the cities as planned until we find the Granus Alchemists. We won't stop until we find out where they are."

"You mean that they aren't at Granus?" Loose Ruth asked.

"No, of course not. They know that they are being followed; they won't stay in one place."

"How will we know if we find them?"

"Easy," Rohgsworn withdrew a large cigar from his breast pocket. "They'll show signs, powers, and even…" Rohgsworn laughed. "…determination…"

"Finally!" Celestia laughed as she stepped outside of the ruins and stretched. "I sure am glad that that's over!"

"What about the trip back?" Demonte pointed out and Celestia stopped her victory dance in mid-air.

"Thanks a lot dream wrecker."

"I'm just pointing out the obvious," He shrugged.

"Great effort team!" Milly smiled. "We made it!"

"All right then, let's set up camp." Ingway gestured to the open space in front of them. From there, we will have night watchers."

"Let's hurry this up before the sun goes down and the fog gets worse." BDN commanded.

Tents were pitched as a fire was being conducted and everyone gathered around, planning the attack for when the enemies approached. Demonte volunteered to be the first night watcher and Celestia offered to assist him.

"So, this is fun," Celestia said, trailing behind her companion. "How far do you intend to go out to watch for the attackers?"

"Not far," He replied. Then he stopped and settled himself on the ground, leaning against a giant boulder.

Celestia joined him and yawned.

"So, it's nice to see that you've had a change of heart. I seriously thought that you were going to leave yesterday after that outburst."

"I seriously WAS going to leave. But then I thought about the Mafia and the burnings. I never heard anything about the town burnings until Stefany mentioned it to me back in Sanction." She looked at him, confused. "That's when you passed out, remember?"

"Oh…"

Demonte continued. "I just figured that it was the Mafia. Anyway, I was strictly ordered to stop Granus and find the Alchemists. It seems that Rohgsworn is acting on his own."

"Maybe, but…how are you planning on finding a needle in a haystack?"

"Come again?" Demonte asked, confused.

"I mean, how do you plan on finding the Half Eagle Alchemists if they look like exactly like you and me? You know, people?"

"Rohgsworn just said that I'd know, whatever that means. Anyway, I'm also looking for the Insurrection Task Force as well. Personally, I think that they are more of a threat than the Alchemists themselves are."

"Insurrection Task Force?" Celestia's face grew puzzled again. "Who are they? You never mentioned them to me."

"The I.T.F.?" Demonte tilted his head and bit his bottom lip. "I believe that I had mentioned them once to you before." Celestia continued to stare at him. "Maybe not. Well, they're the warriors from Granus that protect the Half Eagle and Granus. They've been interfering with Hell's Mafia for a very long time now. The I.T.F. always seems to be one step ahead of the Hell's Mafia in whatever we do. Fortunately, they haven't discovered our identity…yet."

"Yet?"

"They're close," Demonte looked at his partner. "There's no telling when they'll find out where we are hiding. I have to make sure that the I.T.F. are stopped before they get to that point."

"How will you find them?" Celestia asked, stretching her legs out and leaning backwards until she hit the rock's surface.

"I don't know. But I will," Demonte pushed himself to his feet. "I will."

In the distance, several shadows ran in the night. The soles of their shoes hit hard upon the granite and the sand. They heaved, lowering their breathing as they spotted a tiny light on the horizon. It was time.

"Anyway," Demonte looked down at Celestia. "Rohgsworn knows what he's doing. There's a good reason why he's after Granus, I'm sure of it."

"Maybe," Celestia said skeptically and turned her away from him.

Then a shot zinged by Demonte, only inches away from taking off his ear. "What the hell was that!?" He asked, as he grabbed his gun.

"I don't know," Celestia replied, becoming alarmed. "Could it be Hell's Mafia?"

"It's a possibility," Demonte said. "Wait here. I'm going to check it out. Warn the others to stay on their toes."

"Right," Celestia nodded and ran back to the campsite.

"I'll take care of everything…" Demonte ventured forward, until dark shadows blocked his path.

"Heh, so this must be the punk." A figure shifted. "The Boss told us that we'd find you here."

"Who are you?" Demonte held his gun closely to his chest.

"Hell's Mafia. We thought that you of all people would know that." It was a different voice that responded this time.

"I wish that I could see, but it's dark outside," Demonte leaned forward. "Remember?"

"Ch, typical smartass." Came an elderly man's voice.

"By the name of Hell's Mafia, I order you to identify yourselves! I shall not ask again…" Demonte cocked his gun and aimed it at the closest figure.

"This is amusing," Another voice, somewhat of a kid's, began to snicker.

"No, no, I'm tired out," The figure closest spoke. "After all, we have our orders."

"Sheesh, you need a humor bone," The old man spoke up.

"My name is Descartes, carrier of the boomerang."

The old man spoke up. "We are the Nebraska Family. This is my son Gofsef and I am the Professor. But listen up! We aren't here to answer to a snot-nosed brat like you! We're just after the goods." Demonte looked up at the tall shadow and shifted. The infamous Nebraska Family was associated in Hell's Mafia? How unspeakable…

"Ah, put a cork in it old man!" Demonte's attention was drawn to the younger member of Hell's Mafia. "My name is Tonis of Hell's Mafia. Altogether, we are here to overtake the ruins and make it to the other side."

"Well," Demonte paused. "Tonis, since we seem to be in the same boat here, do you mind me asking a few questions?"

"Such as?" Tonis asked.

"Are you the ones burning down the towns on the Eastern Side of Gunsmoke?"

"So what if we are?" Professor Nebraska laughed.

"All right," Demonte glanced at the Nebraska Family. "May I ask why?"

"It's simple," Descartes cut in. "We're out to find the Alchemists of Granus."

"Wha?" Demonte shook his head. "But 'I' was assigned that mission!"

"Guess you aren't going fast enough," The Professor snickered. "It's our mission now."

"Oh no, you don't," Demonte growled. "It's my money, it's my mission, it's my KILL! Not YOURS!"

"Oh my," Descartes shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, it's not nice to disobey your elders, kid."

"I'm hardly a kid," Demonte snorted. "And I'm not about to let you take what's rightfully mine. Go back and tell Rohgsworn that."

"Sorry kid," Descartes chuckled. "We answer to no one but Rohgsworn. We aren't about to just give up."

"Oh, and by the way," Tonis spoke up. "Loose Ruth already informed us that the infamous gunman Vash the Stampede is alive and well and he's traveling with you."

"That blonde bastard?" Descartes laughed and cracked his knuckles. "I've been wanting to get back at him for years now. Guess it's my chance."

"No, stop it!" Demonte ordered. "This isn't your fight nor your mission."

"Quiet punk!" The Professor said. "Either you're with us, or you're against us!"

"Well then," Demonte extended his arm out in front of him. "I guess that I'm against you."

"Oh what a shame," Tonis shook his head. "Rohgsworn won't be happy to hear this."

The three charged down the hill, leaving Demonte dumbfounded as he watched the men disappear into the fog.

"Huh? Hey! Wait!" Demonte started after them.

Dammit! This wasn't good…

Demonte watched as the campsite was stormed and his friends scattered. Two fled to the left, three ran southwest of the campsite, and one to the right. The attackers laughed and began to hunt each of the groups. Descartes went left as the Nebraska Family followed the group of three and Tonis went after the single individual. Demonte had no time to make a decision. Instead, he followed after the single individual, hoping that his other friends could manage to take care of themselves.

"Damn imbeciles!" Demonte cursed as he followed after Tonis. "Why the hell are they pursuing this!? Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" He growled and turned sharply around a rock formation, hoping that it was a shortcut that would lead him to Tonis and his companion.

Then he heard gunfire.

"Crap!" Demonte lurched his body forward, pushing himself to go faster. He quickly leaped onto a small mountainside and skidded over the rocks as he looked over the other side. His companion was backed into a corner, and Tonis was closing in.

"Vash the Stampede…" Tonis laughed. "I knew it."

So…he had cornered Vash.

"Don't you recognize me?" Tonis asked, holding a hand to his chest.

"Who are you?" Vash demanded, cocking his silver colt.

"Geez, how dense are you? Does Inepril ring a bell?"

Vash gazed upon the figure wearily as he searched his mind for a clue.

"Vash!" Demonte shouted. "Get the hell out of there!"

"Great, more interference," Tonis shook his head. "Well then, I'll just have to take care of both of you." Tonis emerged with two pistols from inside of his coat. He aimed one at Vash and the other at Demonte. "So," He said, allowing the word to breathe through his lips. "Let's play." 

LOL Okay, now here's the thing. I have NO idea where any of these towns are located much less where the Enora Precipice is. But for my story, it's gonna be on the EASTERN side, kay? If anyone objects and has accurate information (and hey, it doesn't have to be about towns either. It can be about people and their ages, name spelling, whatever, I don't care) please feel free to e-mail me. Oh, and R&R too. That always makes me happy. ♥ ^_^ I think most of you guys saw that I was having fun with my symbol menu in Microsoft Word.


	13. Temptation

Disclaimer: Come on, you know the drill. I didn't own Trigun last time so I still don't own it now.

A/N: I've received a handful of e-mails from people who are confused with some of the characters in the story. While that's perfectly normal, I've decided to post a character list of the people that I've used so far down at the bottom of this chapter. When new characters are mentioned or introduced, they will be added as well. But if you guys have ANY other concerns or questions, I encourage you to contact me. I'm not an ogre, I promise. ;___; See the tears?

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Twelve

Temptation

__

"Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young

In a world of magnets and miracles

Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary

The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway

Do they still meet there by the cut?

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps

Running before time took our dreams away

Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground

To a life consumed by slow decay"

-Pink Floyd (Lyrics from Division Bell)

****

"Hey!" Vash stood up straight. "What do you think that you're doing!?"

"Tonis!" Demonte stood his ground as he armed himself with his own gun. "Leave him alone."

"Tonis?" Vash turned from Demonte to the figure in front of him. "Inepril City…?" Flashbacks flooded back to him. "I remember now…You were asking your mother for a real gun once before…"

"And I finally got one," Tonis sneered. "As you can see."

"But you were so young then…and even still, now!" Vash said in disbelief. How could this dark figure who stood holding him at gunpoint now be the same sweet young boy from Inepril seven years ago? It reminded him of Bete…no, Zazie the Beast. Tonis…he looked the same way that Zazie had. _How could this happen? _"Why are you doing this?"

"I was offered fame and fortune. I've taken the guns that I've always wanted and put them to some good use." Tonis smiled.

"But you're only a young adult!" Vash protested.

"So what!?" Tonis snapped. "Regardless of my age, 'I' am the one who is holding you at gunpoint at this very second!"

Vash said nothing as he watched Tonis cock his gun and tug on the trigger. "So Vash, how did it feel to take my mother's life?"

"What?" Vash breathed in disbelief.

"You bastard! Don't play stupid with me!" Vash could see Tonis' eyes narrow, even in the night. "That day…Four years ago…You killed my mother!"

"Tonis, I–I would never–"

"That's right, more of your lies." Tonis' arm tensed. "But that's okay because I will have the pleasure of killing you. Say goodnight…BOTH of you…"

Demonte quickly dove over the side of the cliff and Tonis halted his attack. Demonte spun in a half circle and struck Tonis in the side of the head with his elbow. He fell, and Demonte motioned to Vash to move.

"Come on you moron! Don't just stand there!" Demonte yelled. Vash hesitated but followed after Demonte into the fog. Tonis clutched his temples, grunting and cursing as he attempted to stand.

"Damn you!" Tonis screamed. "I'll get you for that you bastards!"

"It's not nice to hide," Descartes laughed as he sought for the two refugees he had chased into the fog. Growing weary of the chase, he drew his boomerang and held it up to shield his face. The glint from the boomerang brightened the atmosphere just a little.

Ingway withdrew back behind the boulder that he had been using to spy on his enemy with and, for the meantime, had been acting as a hiding place. He turned and nudged his partner, whispering softly, "I see him."

"Where?" Came Celestia's voice.

"Just over yonder, not far from us. If we're gonna get to higher ground, now would be the time."

"What do you mean higher ground? The boulders?"

"Exactly, but maybe a little more than a boulder." Then an idea hit him. "Hey, you're a psychic, can you sense any cliffs around here? Not too big, but enough so that we can get the first jump on this guy."

"I don't know…Let me try," Celestia closed her eyes. "Damn fog keeps clouding my concentration," She grunted and scrunched her eyes closed.

Ingway turned, listening for footsteps. Impatience began to set into his bones and he slowly began to shake with each pounding footstep that came closer.

"Right," Celestia opened her eyes. "Follow me, and hurry." She broke into an immediate run and Ingway hurried after.

Descartes jerked his body to the side and frowned. His frown immediately turned into a hideous grin as he caught sight of his prey. He cocked his arm backwards and sent the razor sharp boomerang flying from his hand. It cut through the rocks with ease and was still determined to reach Ingway and Celestia.

Celestia stopped abruptly, almost causing Ingway to run into the back of her, and she turned around, sensing the danger. "Hit the ground!" She shouted as she dove onto her belly and covered her head.

Puzzled, Ingway turned and horror fed through his body. Celestia reached up and grabbed the back of Ingway's black coat. She pulled roughly and he fell on top of her just as the boomerang whizzed by.

Sighing, Celestia glared at him. "Next time when I tell you to duck, DUCK."

"Come out come out wherever you are!" Sang Descartes as he advanced forward.

"Run!" Celestia pushed Ingway off of her and rocked herself back and used momentum to swing herself up. "And keep low because the boomerang is coming back this way."

Ingway nodded and mimicked her movements. Celestia ran ahead, keeping her mind clear as she sought for the cliff. She turned left into another rock formation and then right, as Ingway struggled to keep up with her.

"Do you know where you're going!?" Ingway asked, breathing hard.

"Hey, who's the psychic here, me or you!?"

"…Good point."

"Great. Now shut up and keep up!"

From around the other side, nothing could be heard except for the steam being released from the back of Gofsef's head. The ground shook violently and three pairs of eyes shone in the night from behind a crevasse of rocks.

"Geez, I thought that those guys were in jail!" BDN said, shaking his head.

"They were," Meryl explained. "All of them, actually, but I suppose that someone helped them escape."

Milly smiled. "This reminds me of the time when Mr. Vash caught these guys and saved the town of Inepril!"

Meryl frowned as her fingernails dug into the lining of her gloves. "This is no time for recollections, Milly! We have to pray that the others are okay and take down the Nebraska Family ourselves!"

"I would like to make this flashy, but I've never been fond of fighting robots." BDN smirked. "It really cramps my style as there's really nothing that you can fight them with."

Milly turned her head to BDN. "We could always do what Mr. Vash did," She suggested and Meryl groaned. "What? It could work…"

"All right," Meryl said, taking over the conversation. "We'll circle him and then engage in gunfire. Milly, you take left, BDN, you take right, and I'll take front."

"What do you want us to do from there, Meryl?" Milly asked, patting her stun gun.

"Distract him, I'll take care of the rest."

BDN laughed. "Henai, you never fail to impress me. You're just going to take him out like that, huh?"

"Our lives are on the line," Meryl told him. "Now move out!"

The heat raged on and the pace quickened as Celestia and Ingway neared the cliff. Celestia smiled and she nodded to the large mountain formation in front of them. "Up there!"

Ingway's jaw dropped. "Isn't it a bit steep?"

"Now is not the time to be picky!" Celestia argued. "Besides, it's not too big and we'll be able to hide and shoot from a decent range."

"But it's still steep," Ingway muttered as the two stopped and Celestia swung herself up onto the first rock and began to climb higher. Ingway looked back to where Descartes' figure was slowly creeping up the mountain path and sighed. He followed Celestia's movements and scrambled up the small cliff mound.

Ingway seized a sturdy rock protruding out of many other smaller pebbles and pulled his weight up to the next rock until he finally was able to jerk himself into a comfortable position and roll over onto the flatter surface of the rock. Celestia came only a few seconds later and crawled over to the cliff's ledge.

"Shhh! I see him, I see him."

"Where?" Ingway rolled over and followed her gaze. Just as his eyes spotted the dark figure maneuvering its way to the cliff, the boomerang came whizzing by, cutting nearby rocks into two and vibrating the ground.

"Crap!" Celestia cried, holding her hands over her ears as she ducked lower to the rock's surface. 

"I thought that you said that we'd be safe here!" Ingway growled as he held his arms over his head.

"I think I forgot to mention that my psychic readings aren't always reliable."

Ingway opened his mouth to groan, but just as he did the boomerang had circled back and cut their rock in half. Ingway jerked his head towards Celestia's screams as half of the rock plummeted lower to the ground, taking Celestia with it.

"Hold on," Demonte held a bullet between his teeth as he and Vash stayed crouching behind a rock. Demonte was busy reloading his gun. "Little brat is more persistent than I thought."

"Hey," Vash put a hand on Demonte's gun. "Don't kill him, I know the kid."

"I'll bet he ain't saying the same thing about you." Demonte looked at him. "I'll try not to kill him," He said as he stood up.

"T-Try!?" Vash stared at him, dumbfounded. "How can you say that!?"

"Just watch out for the kid, okay?" Demonte peeked around the rock. Nothing but wind and howls in the deadly night. "Do you have your gun loaded?"

"Yeah," Vash sighed. "I was really hoping I wouldn't have to use it again after my battle with Knives."

"Well, tough. Them's the breaks."

Demonte cocked his gun, turned and jumped out into the clearing, waiting for the enemy to show. Anticipation ate inside of him, and his arm began to grow unsteady. "Where did that sneaky rat go off to…?"

Then a bullet rang in his ears, nearly singeing his face. He ducked behind the rock and pulled Vash down towards the ground. "He's here, be quiet!" Demonte hissed.

"Me? YOU'RE the one moving all over the place!" Vash retorted.

Demonte clamped a free hand over Vash's mouth and listened for footsteps escaping onto the desert plains. "If we're gonna do this right, we're going to have to circle him. Okay?" Demonte waited for Vash to nod his head and pulled his hand away from Vash's mouth. "Good. Now here's the plan. I'll act as a decoy and get him to chase me. You follow behind him and shoot, all right?"

Vash seemed hesitant, but nodded again. Demonte looked at him sternly. "On the count of three. One…two…three!" Demonte jumped up and began to run. His heels clicked softly against the granite as his legs plundered ahead. Bullets whizzed by him, making the attacker seem closer than he really was. Tonis had picked up the bait.

Meryl's heart raced as she waited for the perfect time to make a move. What was taking Milly and BDN so long to make it to their designated posts? Should she have instructed them differently? What if the Nebraska Family already discovered them and…

"No! No! Earth to Meryl!" Meryl fought with herself. "Think positively here! Nothing good ever comes from…"

"…Negativity?" Meryl looked up. The Nebraska Family was hovering above her, darkening the entire area. "Surprised you, didn't we?" The Professor laughed. "Well, I guess that that can only be the expected reaction from someone so ignorant and weak such as you."

"Shut up!" Meryl jumped to her feet and drew her Taurus. "I'm not ignorant, nor weak!" An ulcer was coming on. She had almost wished that Vash were here now. Key word: _ALMOST_. Where had Milly and BDN gone?

"Really?" The Professor laughed. "Then where's your little clan? Surely you haven't abandoned them to meet their dooms, eh?"

Meryl paused, but stood her ground. She was certain that Milly and BDN would be here to back her up soon.

"I would never abandon anyone!" She said, aiming her Taurus unsteadily at the Professor.

This amused the Professor. "You really think that THAT thing will be enough to stop the likes of us? We've already won! Why don't you just sit down with your head between your legs and submit to defeat already!?"

"Never!" Meryl leaned forward and held her finger on the trigger. She couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger and her struggle to do so made the Professor laugh even more.

"Oh, what? You want to pull a Vash now? Become nice and soft and goody-goody?" Meryl gasped and her body grew numb. "Don't think that I don't know you. I remember you from back in Inepril." Suddenly, two large cannons emerged from Gofsef's back and swung over his shoulders so that the barrels were aiming towards the ground. "And I guess that you could say that we've upped our stakes a bit, too."

A stream of bullets hit the ground and Meryl could feel the heat coming from each bullet. She jumped and dive-rolled out of harm's way. Spinning on one foot, Meryl drew her aim to the guns on the massive man's back and pulled the trigger on the gun. Much to her surprise, the bullet held no effect to the gun as the bullet bounced off the shell of the cannon.

"Are you trying to dispatch our cannons with your pathetic little straw of spit wads? Ha! You won't even scratch the paint on it!" Meryl breathed deeply. She knew what had to be done, but if she took the risk…then…then…

Ingway cleared the smoke from his eyes and looked down. Celestia was nowhere to be seen. Fear overtook him and he glanced back up. Descartes was no further than ten feet from the rock mound. Ingway grunted and held a hand to his holster.

"I think that we just evened the odds, don't you think?" Descartes smiled. "Say goodnight, partner." Descartes let his boomerang fly once more and it divided the rock mound in half. Ingway rolled and slid down onto a collapsing rock until his feet had reached the bottom. He withdrew his gun and shot at Descartes' shoulder. Miraculously, Descartes remained unharmed.

"These," Descartes pointed to the metal plates on his shoulders and knees. "Will keep stray bullets where they belong."

A whistling noise grew louder behind the startled Ingway and he turned, only to meet the eyes of the boomerang heading for him. Ingway had no time to move or to deflect the blow. All he could do was brace himself for the impact.

And then a shot rang out. And the boomerang never hit its intended target. Ingway opened his eyes to see smoke pouring from the end of the barrel. Then he saw its user.

"Celestia!" He wheezed as he caught his breath. "You're alive…!"

Celestia did not answer. Instead she kept her eyes peeled on the boomerang she had thrown off course with her gun. The metal blade continued to spin past Descartes and he turned to watch it. Celestia took this open opportunity and pulled the trigger again, sending a bullet to Descartes' back. 

"GAAAHHHH!" He wailed, teetering forward but still remained standing.

And did something unexpected.

Turning, he held his hand up to show the two. Grimacing from the pain, he said, "Seven years ago when I encountered Vash the Stampede, I lost my right arm because of him. Now, I will show you how I coped."

Smirking, he held his hand out and pointed it at Celestia. The skin on his fingers began to peel back, revealing a large and dangerous Gatling Gun. Celestia and Ingway stepped backwards, astonished. Descartes laughed and held the bottom of his gun-arm as bullets rained from the gun and fled towards the two.

Ingway rolled to the left as Celestia rolled to the right. Ingway slid, and groped for his gun. Celestia pushed herself to her feet and hid behind a rock, reloading her revolver. Ingway took offense and fired two shots at the heavy man.

Descartes deflected the bullets with his gun-arm and returned the fire. Ingway was forced to pull back and clung to the back of a nearby rock. Bullets pounded hard into the rock, and for Ingway's sake, he hoped that the rock could withstand the pummeling.

And then another shot rang out, and a large body dropped to the ground. Ingway could sense the danger to be gone, and he peeked out from behind the rock. He grinned from ear to ear as he saw not Descartes standing there, but Celestia, her gun held to the back of Descartes' head. Descartes had fallen face-first into the dirt and Celestia leaned forward, growling.

"You've lost," She spat. "Now get the hell out of here."

Descartes' breath warmed the ground and he swallowed his heart back into his chest. "How did you do that? You escaped to the back of me and shot me. But there was no way around me. So what the hell did you do?"

Celestia paused, and then smirked. "Hmph, you of all people should know that pride is a sin."

"Then maybe we'll play the cards a little differently next time." Descartes swung over onto his back and used his momentum to kick up to his feet and rushed past Ingway. "Don't think you've won!" He called over his shoulder. "But I did enjoy the warm-up…"

"Wait," Ingway started after him. "Are you sure it's okay to let him go like this?"

Celestia shrugged. "We've already beaten him." She turned. "Besides, we have other important matters to attend to now."

The electricity encircled Meryl's arm as she held her Taurus with the other hand. The Professor stared her down.

"Oh, what's this I see?" He mocked. "A little hocus-pocus, right?"

Sweat poured down the sides of Meryl's face as her breathing quickened. Her hard glassy eyes stayed on the Nebraska Family.

And then she covered her face with her glowing arm.

Suddenly, the Professor wasn't laughing anymore.

"So? You think that by casting a little spell on us, you'll win? Then get a load of this!" The Professor slammed his arm downwards and slapped his thigh. "Gofsef, time for Plan B!"

The monster roared and he held both arms in front of his chest. Meryl glanced up, her hair swaying backwards, as though an act of force was pushing it back. Spikes emerged from Gofsef's arms, and he kneeled down to the ground. The two cannons on his back began to take in energy and soon two large, circular, balls of light clung to the end of each of the barrels of the guns. 

Meryl's arm, still held in front of her face, acted as a shield from the blinding light. The light grew dim slightly and Meryl looked up, not taking her arm away from her face.

"With this super deluxe Ray of Destruction, I will be able to eliminate all life-force that stands in my way. You should be happy that you could go down in such a blaze of glory."

Meryl began to shake, but did not give in. Slowly she took her other hand and held it in front of her glowing hand. The whistling of the Destruction Ray ceased, and all grew silent for the moment.

Then Meryl breathed in slowly, as all hell broke loose. The cannons exploded, encircling the area and devouring the land. The ground began to disintegrate rapidly, and the sky was momentarily alit by the glow of the cannons.

Meryl's feet began to slide backwards, but she implanted her weight into the ground and ducked her head in between her hands. The fierce wind rippled past her, scarring her face mildly. Using all of her strength, she forced her illuminated arm far out in front of her, electricity cackling around it and the wind abruptly mellowed, leaving a soft, cool, breeze in the atmosphere.

The Professor watched, astounded, at the sight before him. A barrier had blocked his attack against her and the land. He looked down, clenching his hands into fists. The cannons had become dysfunctional.

"Grrr!" He pointed a striking finger at Meryl. "Damn you!"

But Meryl's attention was not on the outraged Professor, but on the power she beheld. The barrier of warm light that had soaked through the air, dissipating the wind, had begun to fade, but the dark glow encircling Meryl's arm only grew intensely.

The Professor narrowed his eyes, curious as to see what this lass was up to. How was it that she could single-handedly stop his Ray of Destruction AND successfully dispatch the cannons as well? There could only be one answer, but was it true?

"So tell me," The Professor said coolly. "What's the reason that you wish to oppose your death? Pulling cheap strings ain't gonna work forever, you know." When she wouldn't answer, the Professor shrugged. "Suit yourself. Maybe it's better to die this way," He snapped his fingers and in Gofsef's crouched form, the spikes that had emerged from his arms earlier began to glow and explode into bright light, just as the Ray of Destruction had earlier.

"So there's only one dirty trick left to play," The Professor laughed, exposing the two teeth hanging out of the front of his mouth. "And that's the game of suicide."

The ground erupted, like dynamite and firecrackers, as flames spurted in every which way. Meryl looked up, slightly, and then clenched her fist.

Like in slow motion, heartbeats became minutes in between each thump and the bodies of both Meryl and the Professor became numb. The electricity hovering around Meryl's hand burst and caressed the lucent night sky. It cancelled out the Professor's own suicide attempt with dynamites and even the Professor had to shield his eyes.

Then came the wild howling of Gofsef and the Professor. Shockwaves were sent up and down their bodies as loose gravel plummeted up from below. Then, everything became white.

Meryl's body gave way and she collapsed to the ground as the smoke cleared from the distance. Her breath was rough and the back of her throat hurt from the lack of air. She glanced up, and watched as the huge giant of a man, Gofsef Nebraska, collapsed to the ground, surges of electrical currents still continuing to run up and down his body.

The Professor could not think, could not feel, couldn't do anything. This surge of power, it was nothing like any normal brand of witchcraft.

No…

This was something much, much worse.

And if not for the cloud of smoke that began to fog the starless night, the Professor would have died himself.

For with that dark cloud, came salvation, and the Professor was carried off the battlefield and back to his haven. He looked up and watched as a shadowy figure began to weave its way into his vision.

"Did you dispose of them?" Spoke a heavy voice.

The Professor was at a loss for words.

And then Descartes hurried into the room.

Heh, heh. Lots of action in this chapter. And, GASP! Vash is responsible for Tonis' mother's death? Could it be!? And at least we got to witness Meryl's TRUE Forbidden Magicks for the first time!

Demonte: Which I'm not supposed to know about.

That's right…which is what Demonte's not supposed to know… Glares at Demonte Thanks a lot Demonte. You just ruined the story.

Demonte: Shrugging Anytime.

ANYWAY…As promised, the character list is down below. If you are one of the many people who are confused about who each character is (I'm serious. I had to re-watch Trigun MULTIPLE times just to get the characters), please scroll down below. Oh, and if you have any questions or concerns or information regarding the story…Cries PLEASE e-mail me! Oh, and as always, R&R please. ^_^

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Character List:

Vash: Main Character in Trigun

Meryl: Main Character in Trigun

Milly: Main Character in Trigun

Knives: Main Character in Trigun

Rem: Main Character in Trigun (But she died)

Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Main Character in Trigun (But he died)

(Okay, sub-characters)

Cliff Schzzarre: First introduced in Chapter 3. He appeared in Trigun in Episode Two: Truth of Mistake. He was the man who monopolized all of the water.

Marianne Aura Cayzen: First mentioned in Chapter 3. She appeared in Trigun in Episode Two: Truth of Mistake as Cliff's guest and the sheriff sent out to arrest Cliff.

Stefany Bostalk: First appeared in Chapter 5. She appeared in Trigun in Episode Four: Love and Peace as the daughter of the rich Earl Bostalk. She was taken captive and Ingway and his men demanded a ransom from Earl for her safety.

Earl Bostalk: First mentioned in Chapter 5. He appeared in Trigun in Episode Four: Love and Peace. He was once known as Grim Reaper Bostalk who had killed countless people to get some land. He is a very wealthy man and Ingway is out to settle the score with him because he stole the land and killed his people.

Sheriff Stan: First mentioned in Chapter 6. He appeared in Trigun in Episode Four: Love and Peace. He hates Earl because he felt that he got cheated when Earl became rich and he was stuck as the sheriff. He hired a band of crazed mercenaries to save Stefany but had other plans when the mercenaries failed and he tried to kill Vash and the others.

Brilliant Dynamites Neon (BDN): First appeared in Chapter 6. He appeared in Trigun in Episode Seven (BDN) and Eight (And Between The Wasteland And The Sky). He attempted to highjack a sand steamer with Kaite's help and get the treasure locked inside. When he couldn't open the safe, he decided to crash the sand steamer into the Enora Precipice.

The man with the black trench coat and silver hair: He was first mentioned in Chapter 6. (He will later be introduced by full name in future chapters ^_^) He never made it into the manga or the anime, sadly, but he is a popular action figure. He is pure evil and his heritage is unknown…for now…

Beremy: First mentioned in Chapter 10. He appeared in Trigun in Episode Seven: (BDN) and Eight: (And Between The Wasteland And The Sky). He was one of BDN's henchmen when BDN attempted to take over the sand steamer.

Loose Ruth: First appeared in Chapter 8. He appeared in Trigun in Episode One: The $$60,000,000,000 Man. He was known as Constance Rifle and is a bounty hunter after Vash the Stampede. He and Descartes had fought against each other because they had thought the other to be Vash. Finally, they realized their mistake and joined forces to take Vash down.

Mysterious Guy With The Gotterer: First appeared in Chapter 8. This man is dead, but brought back to life to find Vash. He will be revealed in later chapters.

Steve: First mentioned in Prologue. He first appeared in Trigun in Episode Seventeen: Rem Saverem. He was a SEED member who hated Vash and Knives.

Descartes: First appeared in Chapter 11. He first appeared in Trigun in Episode One: The $$60,000,000,000 Man. He is very tall, has a green Mohawk and stubby legs. He was also after Vash's bounty. He wields a giant boomerang as well. He and Loose Ruth had fought against each other because they had thought the other to be Vash. Finally, they realized their mistake and joined forces to take Vash down.

The Nebraska Family (Professor and Gofsef): First appeared in Chapter 11. They appeared in Trigun in Episode Five: Hard Puncher. They broke out of jail and were called upon to take out Vash the Stampede in Inepril. When they got out of control, Vash stopped Gofsef with five bullets and then used the sixth to knock him out.

Ingway: First appeared in Chapter 9. He first appeared in Trigun in Episode Four: Love and Peace. Ingway is after Earl Bostalk for murdering his people and taking the land that his people had owned. He kidnaps Stefany and demands a ransom from Earl.

Jean and Marvin: First appeared in Chapter 9. They first appeared in Trigun in Episode Four: Love and Peace. They are friends of Ingway and help him against Earl Bostalk.

Badwick: First appeared in Chapter 11. He first appeared in Episode Fourteen: Little Arcadia. Badwick's family owned land blooming with Geo Plants and Morgan wanted the deed to the land. He tried to reason with his parents to hand over the deed, but they would not listen. In the end, he hands over the deed to City Hall only to find that the land was entitled to him.

Tonis: First appeared in Chapter 11. He first appeared in Trigun in Episode Five: Hard Puncher, Episode Six: Lost July, and Episode Seven: BDN. He was the boy that wanted his mother to buy him a real gun instead of the toy one that he had owned. Vash used his toy gun to fend off multiple enemies and Tonis even joined in at the end of Episode Five in Vash's LOVE AND PEACE rally.

See anything wrong? Something not quite clear? Etc…? Then let me know. Here, I'll make it easier for ya guys.

Blood_Lotus_Demonwalker@yahoo.com

There. ^_^

BLD


	14. The Traitor

Disclaimer: This is so annoying. NO. I still DON'T own jack squat. And I don't own Jack or his squat. Which also means that I don't own Trigun. But I DO own Demonte and Celestia and um…other things.

Yes. I changed my summary. My friend said that it sounded too much like a religious sermon. Yeah, I can't write summaries.

BTW this question was asked (I've decided that when a question is asked, I'll post it publicly just in case someone else has the same question. ^^'): What exactly are Forbidden Magicks?

Welps, Forbidden Magicks are Magicks that are very destructive and only the Granus Alchemists have been known to use them. But Demonte and Meryl have them so… O.O we are left in suspense. The questions of what they REALLY are and how the Alchemists were able to acquire them will be answered after chapter 24.

Got a question? Concern? Accurate information? E-mail me please! 

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Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Thirteen

The Traitor

__

"Maybe in another life  


I could find you there  


Pulled away before your time  


I can't deal it's so unfair  
  
And it feels  


And it feels like  


Heaven's so far away  


And it feels  


Yeah it feels like  


The world has grown cold  


Now that you've gone away"

-Offspring (Lyrics From Gone Away)  


__

The Professor could feel the gruff figure turn towards the newcomer, and ask him the same question. "Did you dispose of them?"

Descartes, too, was at a loss for words. Nevertheless, he did try to speak out, in hopes that it would calm his Master. "S-Sir, we were surprised. I had the upper hand until a wench dispatched me from behind."

"From behind?" The gruff figure repeated.

"Yes, from behind. She had to have been a psychic or something that wasn't human for her to get past me without knowing that she was there."

The Professor found the words to chime in. "I also had the upper hand, until I was beaten back by a woman of unknown heraldry!"

The gruff man pondered on this for a moment. "And what of Tonis?"

"We…" Both men hung their heads in shame as Descartes answered. "We don't know sir. That man you mentioned…Demonte…he's fighting alongside them."

"WHAT!?" The gruff man flared.

"Honestly," Descartes said, clenching his fists. "We had no idea that they hoarded such power. We were under the impression that they were only city guards coming to check up on the ruins. The only other thing that we knew was that Demonte was with them." Descartes turned his head. "Failure will not perceive me next time."

"You're right," The gruff man snapped. "It WON'T." And with that, he turned and stormed from the room.

Demonte hurried faster, his heart pounding in his chest. Was Tonis still following him? Had he continued to allow himself to be deceived unknowingly?

Then the sound of gunfire reechoed throughout the sky and Demonte almost smiled. Vash had been victorious after all.

But then he was stopped short by a dark figure clouding his path.

…It was Tonis.

"You didn't honestly believe that I would fall for such a stupid trick, did you?" Tonis laughed. "You? A decoy? I'm a little more intelligent than that, Demonte. I knew Vash was behind me the whole time."

"But the gunfire…" Demonte protested and Tonis turned his head.

"Yes, the gunfire in the distance. I merely shot my gun to distract him, and lead him far away from here. You see, with you around to spoil the fun, I have no choice but to dispose of you." Tonis withdrew his gun. "Don't you agree?"

Demonte paused, unsure of the situation. But then he understood and had no choice but to reach for his own gun.

"Do you know the irritation of this, Demonte?" Tonis laughed, cocking his gun. "Our mission was only to slaughter the resistance party at the ruins. You, yourself, are a member of the Hell's Mafia. Why do you choose to ignore us and side yourself with these infidels?"

"I've never been too hot on people who move in on my orders— especially if they're my own subordinates. I warned you before to step down, but you have refused. If open gunfire is what you wish, then you shall have it."

Tonis paused, and then grinned slightly. "You are a persistent one. Very well. Have it your way." The night breeze brushed against Demonte's back roughly. He cocked his own gun and aimed its end at his enemy. His arm tightened as he pulled on the trigger.

Everything came as a blur after the first shot resounded heavily in the sky. Demonte blinked and stared ahead, only to find that his opponent was not there. Another shot was fired, but it was too late for Demonte to turn around.

The world around him was spinning, and he felt his back hit the ground. A surge of pain spread from his arm to his shoulder, and his sudden dazed state had disappeared. Grimacing, he reached for his shoulder, gasping for air, and flipped onto his belly.

Tonis stood above him, gun in hand, and Demonte could barely make out the teenager's face. All that was seen was the whites of his teeth, which glittered brightly with his wicked smile.

"Checkmate." Tonis laughed. "And YOU were what the Boss was so paranoid about? If I could beat you so easily, then…"

Demonte twisted his body, swinging his leg around to meet the back of Tonis' calf. Tonis was flung forward to the ground as Demonte rolled hastily back onto his feet, staggering a little to regain balance.

The gun was now placed at the back of Tonis' head, and Demonte groped for his injured arm. "Excuse me," Demonte started, breathing deeply. "Who's on the receiving end now?" He swung his arm back and hit the top of Tonis' head with the butt of the gun.

Tonis' body fell limp onto the ground and did not move again. Relieved, Demonte straightened his back and placed his revolver back into its holster from within his cloak. "That was too easy kid. Come back when you know the true meaning of being in the Hell's Mafia. Oh, and tell Rohgsworn that I'll offer up my position to no one, understand?"

Demonte turned on his heel, eager to get back to camp to find the others. But he was stopped short in his tracks as a large object was plummeted into his back and he was sent sailing to the ground, his face connecting with the sand.

"Oh, really?" This voice was not Tonis', but another…

The man stalked closer as the object that had hit Demonte sailed back into the figure's hand. Demonte rolled over onto his back. "Demonte, why?" Demonte knew this voice. "After all that I've done for you, you turn on me and attack your own men. How could you side with inferior beings such as them?"

"I did not side with them because it was my choice. I did it to defend my title." Demonte cleared the haziness from his head. "And what about you?" Demonte asked, spitting sand from his mouth. "What gives you the right to hand my task over to amateurs like them? Did you not trust me?"

"It was not that," Rohgsworn answered. "But the time of Roklen approaches, and you are still so far away. How can I leave things in your hands if the time draws nearer and we still have no clue as to where the Alchemists and their bodyguards lie?"

"I'll get the job done," Demonte growled as he pulled himself back onto his feet. "Trust me. I am also insinuating that Loose Ruth has informed you of Vash the Stampede's abrupt revival?"

"Indeed."

"I am trying to find a way to convince him to come to Roklen and use his stupefying powers that he is so famous for on the I.T.F. and the Alchemists."

Rohgsworn's eyes lit up and he smiled, wide. "Demonte, what a marvelous idea! It will work perfectly…Vash the Stampede working for Hell's Mafia…Ha! Granus won't even know what hit them!" He turned, facing away from Demonte. "Listen to me. I want you there the morning of the occasion. Bring Vash the Stampede…I will take care of the rest."

Demonte had the urge to implore more on the subject, but felt it best not to pry any further. Instead, he looked up and asked, "Are you going to continue with the burnings? What about handing my job over to someone else? Are you going to do that too?"

Rohgsworn held up a commanding hand. "I will not commence the burnings, nor will I be handing your task over to anyone else. This I can promise you."

Meryl stood there, by herself, quaking. Had she just done that? But by revealing…no, NO! She couldn't think of that. Looking up, she spotted two vague silhouettes heading towards her.

"Meryl!" Came the voice of Milly. "Are you all right!? Where's the Nebraska Family!?"

"It's all right now," Meryl assured as they came nearer. "I took care of them."

"Geez Mer!" BDN huffed. "That guy led us in a great big circle and by the time we knew it, he had disappeared. I'm sorry we left you…"

Meryl shook her head. "Now is not the time to be worrying about that. We have to find the others and make sure that they're okay."

"Don't worry, we are." The trio turned and smiled. Celestia waved as Ingway called out to them. "Celestia here took out Descartes all by herself."

_"Descartes…"_ Meryl stiffened. _"I remember that man…"_

"You acted as a great decoy," Celestia smiled warmly. "It gave me plenty of time to use my psychic readings to maneuver my way to the back of him."

"So THAT'S how you did it!" Ingway laughed and then turned to Meryl. "How about you?"

Meryl sighed, placing a hand upon her pounding heart. "I'm okay I guess. It's definitely not something that I would like to do everyday, but the Nebraska Family did retreat."

"That was the Nebraska Family!?" Ingway glanced back and forth between Meryl and BDN. "So, it's true that these people aren't messing around after all. If the Nebraska Family is involved, then they really mean business."

"So we've noticed…" Meryl said, tiredly.

"Anyway that just leaves Dem and the broom-head," BDN chuckled. "Let's go and find them and hope that their flashy battle won't lead to the destruction of something important."

Demonte's eyes were held glued to the spot where Rohgsworn and Tonis had used to be. He knew it. He had to start shaping up and stop going on these little side-quests. Roklen was on this side of the planet anyhow. If he could somehow convince the entire party to go to Roklen…

"Vash and Meryl know each other," Demonte said, trying to put all of the pieces together. "He obviously won't leave the gang now because of the hunt for his brother, Knives. And Meryl won't leave because of her feelings towards Vash. And the others won't leave because Meryl is with Vash." And then an idea struck him. "But if I could use all of that to my advantage, then maybe I have a chance in this after all."

Demonte glanced down at his injured arm. Holding it gingerly, he closed his eyes, as a white glow came from the palm of his hand, mending the wounded flesh almost instantly.

Then he heard a voice in the distance, calling his name.

Turning his head slightly, he spotted a red clad figure with a dark cloak approaching him.

"Vash," Demonte started. "I found out where they're headed."

But Vash seemed unconcerned with such matters at the moment. "Demonte, where's Tonis? Is he okay?"

Demonte almost seemed disgusted with his sense of compassion for others—even with his enemies. Nevertheless, he had to show some truth in his words and so he nodded as he began to voice the lie he had premeditated earlier.

"He's fine. I was unaware that he had been chasing me until it was too late. I gave him chase up the hill over yonder, where his men were waiting for him. He had obviously believed that he lost me in our struggle, so I hid nearby and listened in as they mentioned something about their hideout being in the city of Roklen. They took off some time afterwards away from our camp."

Vash halted. "Roklen?"

"It's the truth," Demonte tilted his head. "And they're up to something."

"What about Knives?" Vash inquired. "Did he say anything about Knives?"

Demonte paused, choosing his words carefully. "Yes…" _There's no going back now… _"Knives is behind all of this."

Silence enveloped the conversation…and then Demonte could hear the thumping of a large body collapsing to the ground. And surprisingly, he heard weeping. "We will have to head to Roklen and make it there by the first of next month…" Demonte continued. "…or all hell will break loose."

"Then let us find the others and head to Roklen immediately," Vash looked up, his tear-stained face hard with determination. "I will find my brother, and end this for the last time."

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Meryl smiled as Demonte and Vash entered the camp. "We were so worried when you didn't come back."

"Are the intruders gone?" Demonte asked, not bothering to return the feelings of welfare.

"Yes," Milly spoke up. "How about your combatants?"

"Yes," Demonte nodded. "But I found out some devastating news that you all need to hear."

The warmth from the camp had disappeared faster than a flame being extinguished from a candle.

"What's the matter?" Ingway asked, a look of apprehension upon his face.

"Knives…" Vash interrupted. "He's back…but he's not alone."

"No…" BDN clenched his teeth together. "It's happening again…isn't it?"

"That can't be true!" Meryl cried. "Knives wouldn't return to the ways of before! I just know that he wouldn't!"

"That doesn't matter now," Demonte said, crossed. "When I was fighting a boy named Tonis, he fled towards the hills and I overheard him mentioning his Boss in Roklen, Knives, to his comrades. I'm only assuming that he's talking about the same man."

"Wait," Vash interrupted. "Earlier when you showed up, you shouted Tonis' name." Demonte winced. Damn, he had slipped up. "Just how did you know that the boy who had cornered me was named Tonis?"

"He told me, when I confronted him and his men on the hill." _Well, that's partly true…_

"That's pretty farfetched…" BDN said, suspiciously. "Wouldn't those guys have killed you had they seen you on the hill?"

"I…" Demonte started.

"And that boy just GAVE UP and fled for the hills? Wouldn't he have taken extra precaution, even after knowing that you were still out and about? Why would he and his motley crew dawdle around a campfire and talk about where they're planning their next attack or even where their hideout is?" 

"Are you calling me a liar?" Demonte bit his lower lip. _Don't look intimidated. You can still weasel your way out of this predicament._

"No," BDN slowly began to pace back and forth. "I'm just wondering if there's an ulterior motive…"

Demonte gave his full attention to the words 'ulterior motive'. "Ulterior motive!? Look, I–"

"That's enough!" Meryl stepped in between BDN and Demonte. "You don't have to explain yourself, Demonte." She turned towards BDN. "And as for you, stop being so wary of everything. If what Demonte says is true, then the better option would be to listen to him and give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Meryl, sometime wariness is the only way to make it in this world. Don't you understand that some of those petty little details may mean something?"

"It's not my fault that the enemy is stupid enough to frolic into the mountains and give away their secrets." Demonte spat. "Or that they didn't kill me when they had the chance. But you would've liked it if they had, wouldn't you?"

BDN reached over, as though he were going to snap Demonte into two. Meryl jerked his arm out of reach and shot him the dirtiest look she could. "BDN…" She said, sternly. "Give it a rest."

"But I don't like his attitude!" BDN protested.

"It all comes with the job," Demonte remarked, remaining neutral to the conversation. _Damn, I need to work on my lying skills. If I keep going at the rate I am, they're bound to catch onto me unless I change my tactics._

All fell silent round the circle, until Milly spoke up in a quiet, muffled voice. "What should we do now?" She asked, slowly.

"We have no choice," Demonte began. "But to go to Roklen and settle the score with Knives. We have to make it there by the first of next month or something terrible will happen."

Mumbled voices were exchanged with one another about the current situation.

"Then we will." All eyes were on Meryl. "We'll go to Roklen and if it's true that Knives has indeed returned to his horrible ways, we will settle the score." Meryl closed her eyes. "But first, we must go to Mordeh."

"The Holy City, Mer?" BDN asked, calming down a bit. "What business do we have there?"

"We must confront the Head Priest and ask about these prophecies that he has foreseen. It is the only way that we can find out exactly what the Dark Ages mean and why Knives is planning on exterminating the world once again."

Demonte watched as pain began to rise in Meryl's voice. "I want to know…I want to find out…Why this is happening."

Demonte offered to take the night's shift as the lookout. While he knew that this position was no longer necessary, he just couldn't find the urge to sleep after all that had happened earlier. From somewhere deep inside, he knew that lying to his companions to get them to venture to Roklen wasn't exactly the most optimum alternative to take, but what other choice was there?

"Once Granus is gone and out of the way, things will all get better…I know it," He tried desperately to convince himself of this, but from somewhere deep inside, he knew it was wrong. _I'm going to get caught in a big lie. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Why didn't I make up another excuse? Something else? Why didn't I twist the truth, even just a little? I should've taken more time to think this thing through. _Demonte sighed. _If Meryl hadn't have stepped in, BDN would've caught me in that lie. Whether I like it or not, I couldn't lie my way out of that situation. There's no way. _Demonte shifted uncomfortably. _But to lie in the first place…I'm not wrong about this, am I? _"Hell's Mafia was the only way that I could go at the time. Is it wrong to try and survive?"

_"To hate us forever because you can't accept our existence just shows the true cowardice that possesses itself inside of you!"_

Demonte flinched. Where had that voice come from? He knew that he had heard it somewhere…somewhere long ago.

It had belonged to a little girl…

_How long had it been since a man had last aimed the end of a barrel at his head? Nah, couldn't have been that long. But then again, it wasn't much of a thought that Vash the Stampede liked to reminisce about. He had laid his guns to rest in the crimson desert underneath one of the many suns that rose and set on the planet Gunsmoke._

Vash didn't like pain much anyway, so he hadn't been so nostalgic about that part of his life. He had hoped that he could let the past be the past and look towards the future. Maybe, that was what she would've wanted anyway. Clear blue skies, soft rain showers, and lots of flowers. 

But Vash really didn't like to recollect old thoughts either. Because that usually ended in pain too. Anyone would've thought that his mind would've been put at ease once the score was settled with his psychopathic brother. However, time was not a merciful companion and often loved to play with his emotions.

Vash blew a lock of blonde hair from his sea-green eyes and continued down the sloven road. The wind rippled his loosely worn white shirt and dirtied his tan trousers. Reality was also not so kind to Vash the Stampede, the most wanted man on the face of the planet.

How long had he been traveling? Long enough to realize that he seldom stayed in one spot for long.

_Vash's mind flickered back to the present. Well, there was another thing that he had just realized._

He was lost.

Vash hadn't known how long he had lay there, thinking back to the old times, until his flashbacks were met with an inner void as his mind surfaced back to reality. He sat up in his sleeping bag, unzipped the tent, and stepped outside, reaching for his cloak along the way. Pulling it around his shoulders, he caught sight of a black figure leaning against a nearby boulder, staring out into the night.

"You don't have to take this shift you know," Vash said, seating himself beside Demonte. "I'll take over if you're tired."

"No," Demonte answered. "I couldn't sleep anyway."

"Guess that makes two of us." Vash smiled.

The hiatus between the two began to grow and it made Vash edgy. "You don't like to talk much, do you?"

"Only when necessary. I'm not a sociable person. Please forgive me if you've taken it personally."

"Yeah," Vash forced a smile. "Neither am I." Vash shivered against the cold. "Guess that after this, there won't be much time to be sitting down and talking, will there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Vash cleared his throat. "It's going to be a nonstop trip to Roklen and after the fight with my brother, I guess that there won't be much of a reason to stick together, am I right?"

"Yeah, perhaps."

Sighing, Vash's humor disappeared and he lowered his melancholy eyes to the ground. "As strange as it may sound, I've never liked guns too much. I've always dreamed of just settling down and staring at the blue sky all day long. Not having a care in the world, but just laying on the grass and watching the clouds roll by."

"You're definitely not anything that I pictured you to be," Demonte commented and Vash smiled.

"Yeah, 'he' said the same thing too."

"He?"

"Oh, just one of my old closest friends."

Demonte peered at this man from the corner of his eye. This guy was just so unpredictable. He was nothing like the rumors and the legends had stated him to be. Could it be that this man was not the real Vash the Stampede?

__

No, of course he is, stupid. Everyone knows him after all. 

Thinking about it, his friends must've had the same shock as Demonte had when they had first encountered him. It was rather funny actually.

"I just can't believe that history is repeating itself," Vash brought Demonte out of his thoughts. "I thought that my days of Gung-Ho Guns and bounty hunters would be over, but I guess not."

"It will be soon enough," Demonte said, sitting upright against the rock. "After all of this, it will be."

"Maybe," Vash said. "I'll be looking forward to the day when I can finally settle down."

Demonte glanced at Vash. "Don't you have a love life? A girl you can spend the rest of your life with?"

Vash almost laughed. "A girl? Hardly. In all the years I've spent traveling, I've never seemed to have found time to find the right one."

"What about that girl, Meryl?" Demonte suggested. "It seems like you and her go way back."

At first Vash's face tensed, but then softened. "Nah, I only know her because she and Milly used to stalk me a few years ago. I don't think I ever would consider Meryl as a girlfriend."

"Hmm," Demonte chuckled.

"How about you?"

"Nah," Demonte shook his head. "There's just no time. And besides, I think that my only love will be the wind and the plains in which I travel across. Nothing else seems better."

Vash smiled halfheartedly. "Even though, it does seem like a lonely life."

"Then I guess that we're in the same boat, now aren't we?"

Vash turned his head and his eyes were fixed on Demonte. "Yeah, maybe we are." 

The next morning, the seven set out on the plains to Mordeh, which Meryl had said was not far off.

Demonte's mind was driven back to the conversation between him and Vash the night before. Although nothing had changed in Vash and Demonte's friendship, Demonte could not help but feel utterly lost as far as his priorities went.

_"Even though, it does seem like a lonely life."_

A lonely life?

Perhaps.

And Demonte began to wonder what it was about the others that intimidated him most.

Maybe it was then that Demonte was finally beginning to realize the meaning of loneliness and life's hardships. And maybe it was then that he had had a sudden doubt in the plans that were soon to come.

"I'll be happy when we finally get to somewhere where we can all rest," BDN sighed. "My feet are killing me from all of that fighting last night."

"Fighting?" Meryl snorted. "Running around lost is more like it."

"Hey, hey!" BDN protested. "That was an accident. The fog was heavy too, remember?"

"Making up excuses isn't the way to get what you want, Brilliant," Meryl glared at him. "But I'll let you off easy this time."

BDN smirked. "I guess that that makes me forever in your debt, huh, Ms. Stryfe?"

Demonte shook his head. Then again, loneliness sounded perfectly fine to him, especially when you had companions like Meryl and BDN.

__

Ahhhhh! This was so horrible! Points to Demonte And it's all your fault!

Demonte: Mine? What are you talking about?

You're such a horrible liar that even your lies are unrealistic. Do you know how hard it was to play your character out by making you such a bad liar and STILL come up for ways to save your butt?

Demonte: How is that my fault? You should've made me a great liar in that case.

BECAUSE! If I did THAT then I'd ruin Chapter 24…which is what I'm not going to ruin now. Lol

Demonte: (Sobbing into his hands) You are so hopeless.

Absolutely. But not only are you a horrible liar, you're also a meany. It's not nice to play your friends like fools for your own dirty work. Where's my whip? You need reprimanding!

Demonte: With physical abuse? Why don't you just sell me off to some other needy writer? I'm sure that they would treat me much better than you do. Making me sleep in the closet all the time and feeding me fat-free Tofu and–

Cuts him off ANYWAY! There aren't any new characters in this chapter so it's safe to say that I don't have to do any extra typing. Yay!

Anyway, this chapter was messed up in my opinion. But it would still be nice for anyone to R&R if they aren't feeling TOO lazy. 

Until next time… (The next chapter isn't as bad as this one. I promise. Some Sky City residents are coming back. Huzzah.)

BLD


	15. Night Watcher

Disclaimer: Well, last time I checked I didn't own Trigun. Just my OC's. SOB SOB you mean I have to keep putting this same stuff for the next 80 or so chapters?

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Fourteen

****

Night Watcher

__

"So Mister can you help me?

Or are you my gun?

Have the ghosts of justice

Brought you here to me to taste

The barrel of a loaded gun?

There's justice in the barrel

Of a loaded gun"

-Bon Jovi (Lyrics from Justice In The Barrel)

****

Mordeh could be seen in the far distance at mid-afternoon. BDN cheered wildly and Milly joined him. Everyone was happy to be in a populated residence once again.

"Actually, it's a miracle that the town burnings didn't reach Mordeh," Ingway mumbled. "Thank God for that."

At the town gates, Ingway stepped to the front of the group and called out to the gate guards.

"Excuse me, is Keahnu here? We must speak to him, immediately."

"Keahnu?" Celestia whispered to BDN. "Is that the name of the Head Priest?"

"Not quite," BDN replied. "But wherever Keahnu is, the Head Priest will be close behind."

"Who is Keahnu?" Celestia pried further.

"Just one of our closest friends."

"What business do you have here, Stranger?" A guard shouted from the other side of the gate. "Hasn't anyone told you that these gates are closed to travelers?"

"Tell Keahnu that Henai is here to see him," Meryl stepped to the front, brushing past Ingway.

"Henai?" The name was pondered for a short while before the guard spoke again. "Who else is with you?"

"My companions," Meryl answered. "As well as Ingway and Brilliant Dynamites Neon. Now please, let us through. It is very urgent."

The gate was unlatched and opened minimally. The guard poked his head through to have a closer look at the travelers. Then he nodded and pointed to Ingway. "I recognize him. If what you say is true, then I'll let you pass."

"Thank you, Sir." Meryl bowed her head.

They stepped through the gates, and marveled at the glorious city. It was like a new way of looking at life. The concrete paved streets shined with awe. The buildings themselves were even modeled with new perfection, looking much cleaner and sturdier than any of the other cities Demonte had passed through along his travels.

Although the city was still lacking plantation and natural flowing streams, the city was still a beautiful and voluminous sight indeed. 

"This must be the new technology and architectural designs that I've heard so much about from Keahnu." BDN smiled. "Damn, he wasn't kidding when he said that this was a Holy City. Look at all of the hard work and the dedication they put into the exterior establishments as well as the interior. I can't even imagine what the church looks like."

"I've only been here twice before," Meryl jerked her thumb to the northern part of the city. "The church is that way. You can't miss it."

BDN chuckled. "Uh-oh, then maybe I was right after all. So how big is the church? One story? Two stories? How about ten?"

"Brilliant," Meryl narrowed her eyes. "The only reason that the city looks as prosperous as it does is because the civilians and the Head Priest have taken much pride and consideration into it. For crying out loud, it's the Holy City of God! Why should it look any less decent than the other cities on Gunsmoke?"

"I'm not complaining," BDN shrugged. "I just hate seeing unnecessarily needed money go into what could be used for putting a stop to the Dark Ages."

"I take it that you've never been here," Meryl noted as BDN shook his head. "Then you'll see what I mean in a few moments."

"You mean as to why the city looks as grand as it does?"

Meryl chose to ignore the older man as she made locating the church her main priority.

Vash stood, boggled, and turned himself in a circle as he absorbed the surroundings of the city.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Demonte stepped up behind him. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I think maybe once before," Vash spoke, "I saw a building as tall as these. I can't remember, but being here brings back suppressed memories of my early childhood."

Demonte pondered, and clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Perhaps you're right. This smell, it's familiar to me somehow." He turned to Vash. "But I suppose that now is not the time to reminisce about things like these, eh?"

"No," Vash agreed. "I guess not. There will be more time later." His eyes met with an enormous water fountain built in the City Square. The water spurted high upwards and plummeted back into the fountain. The marble stone wall surrounding it gave it a nice finishing touch.

"What are you two doing?" Meryl's voice could be heard from a distance away. "Stop chattering and get over here!"

Demonte almost laughed. "Guess we'd better listen to her."

Vash mirrored the smile and nodded. "Maybe so."

The church was a force to be reckoned with. The city could not even compare to the stunning three-story obelisk. The church was constructed of pale pink marble, soft to the touch and the pillars were rounded at the top. A giant cross sculpted out of solid pewter was mounted high and proud upon the top of the church. Rays from the suns reflected off of the stain glass windows, and the church shimmered with outer beauty.

"Guess I was right," BDN said smugly. "The beauty of this city doesn't even stand a chance against the splendor of this church." He turned to Meryl. "So, do you know for a fact that the old geezers are in?"

"Keahnu just happens to be one of my most trustworthy allies. He is HARDLY an old geezer," Meryl brushed past BDN and continued towards the church. "You should know that."

"Stop flirting you two," Celestia giggled.

BDN obviously didn't find it as humorous as Celestia did.

He frowned and turned away. Milly joined in on the laughter and even Ingway had to restrain himself from cracking. Vash and Demonte hid in the back, and rarely paid any attention to the conversation.

Meryl rapped her fist against the church door several times as the choir's singing resounded in the room opposite of Meryl. The door slowly opened and she looked up. There before her stood the towering six foot two man, known as Algernon, the Head Priest of Mordeh.

"Your Holiness," Meryl gasped. "You startled me. I did not expect you to be out of your personal quarters at this time of day."

"Henai," The Head Priest took Meryl's wrist and kissed her knuckles lightly, in traditional form. "It is a pleasure to see you again." Algernon glanced up. "And I see that you've brought friends. It must be urgent news then. Come. Come inside."

Meryl pulled back slightly. "Is Keahnu here?"

Algernon paused and then slowly nodded his head. "He's upstairs."

Meryl motioned her allies into the church and began to follow Algernon into a large room, the pleasant songs from the choir relaxing her and allowing her to take in the interior of the cathedral.

"It's so beautiful," Meryl heard Milly gasp from behind her. "I've never seen anything like it! It's so very large."

"I've only heard rumors about such a place," Celestia told her. "This church is bigger than all the other churches I've ever seen."

"That's not the only splendor of it," Meryl said over her shoulder. "Later on when you are able to sightsee, make sure you go to the bluff at the edge of town. The city from a distance at night is the most spectacular thing that you will ever hope to see."

"The only other place that I heard was more marvelous than this is the city of Granus." Milly said. "They say that in Granus, the buildings are all made out of gold."

"That's just a false rumor you've heard," Meryl said quickly. "No building can be made out of gold. I mean not with the Dark Ages here. No one can afford it. Perhaps the city itself has such splendor, but I doubt that it is a city of gold."

They approached a long spiraling staircase, lined with red velvet carpet. Algernon led them up, slowly pacing himself up the steep steps. "That is correct. Granus is merely just a sister-city to us. But Mordeh is the city of peace. We hope to one day spread our peace to other cities in need of our assistance."

"Very good, your Holiness," Celestia smiled.

Algernon stopped and turned, bringing his fist up and tapped lightly on a wooden door. "Keahnu, we have visitors."

When no acknowledgement came, Algernon twisted the knob and stepped inside. A small figure, his back facing the group, sat in a chair soundly, as though he hadn't heard them walk in at all.

"Keahnu?" Algernon paused.

The small man turned his head slightly, his bald head reflecting softly against the light. "Algernon? Who has come to visit us?"

"Keahnu," Meryl brushed past Algernon. "It's Henai."

The name seemed to catch Keahnu's attention. He became more lively and stood up, his small body barely reaching three and a half feet in height. "Henai? You have come?"

Vash peered from behind the crowd. But he still could see the small elderly man's face.

And gasped.

"Doc!?" Vash pushed himself to the front. "Doc, you're 'Keahnu'!?"

Keahnu was surprised with this sudden outburst and looked up at the tall blonde stranger. Vash could sense the hint of unfamiliarity in his eyes and he pointed to himself. "It's me Doc…Vash."

It took a moment for the Doctor to regain his senses as the name resounded in his eardrums. He frowned. "Is this some kind of a sick joke, young man? Vash the Stampede has been dead for almost four years!"

"No, no," Meryl stepped in. "Keahnu," She giggled. "Although I should've prepared you for such a shock, it's true. This is the one and only Humanoid Typhoon…Vash the Stampede."

"Impossible!" The Doctor shook his head. "This man…this man…" He squinted further and Vash laughed. "…It can't be…"

"Vash the Stampede?" Algernon gasped. "The one…that…"

"He's completely harmless," Meryl reassured. "As long as he is under our care, he will cause no problems. I promise."

"Vash the Stampede," The Doc rolled the name over and over again in his mind before nodding. "I don't understand."

"I suppose that we have a lot of catching up to do, huh?" Vash's eyes softened. "I'm sorry."

"Vash, for as long as I have known you, the first question in my mind would be 'what happened'? But because I HAVE known you for so long, I suppose that it will be a waste of time asking." The Doc took Vash's hand into his own and patted it. "It has indeed been a long time. You worried us all, Vash."

"I'm very, very sorry," Vash apologized. "I'll be happy to explain—"

"Not now," The Doc interrupted. "Right now, we are in the middle of a major crisis that I think that you yourself need to look at."

Vash became serious. "Doc?"

"Follow me into the other room, Vash. It is very important."

BDN nudged Meryl and whispered, "Vash knows Keahnu?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. Vash has lived for more than 130 years, you know."

BDN's jaw dropped. "WHAT!?" He shrieked.

"Yes," She nodded and hissed back. "I've told you this before…"

"Well…" He scratched his chin.

"Vash," Doc pointed a steady finger to the bed in the next room. "Have a look."

Vash hesitated, looking at the Doc for a mere second. Then he took a step forward, followed by another one, and another, until he was finally at the foot of the bed.

A figure was held occupied in the bed, although Vash could not tell who it was from the distance that he was at. He reached forward, and pulled the blanket from the figure's face.

And almost screamed.

"Jessica!?" Vash's eyes had widened. "Doc! Jessica, is Jessica—" Vash could not pry his eyes away from Jessica's lifeless face. Her limp body refused to move; so unlike the ecstatic girl Vash had once knew.

"Vash, Jessica is not dead, but she is in a coma."

"What?" He turned, and clenched a fist, demanding to know. "What are you talking about?"

The Doc paused. "Take a seat," He glanced at the rest of the group. "All of you. Please, take a seat."

They did so, obediently.

"About three months ago, a shadow began to vanish in and out of Mordeh. No one knew who it was or what it wanted. All we knew was that its hostile approach was not of a good sign."

Vash's face hardened as his eyes trailed back to Jessica's still form. "Then is he the bastard that did this to Jessica?"

The Doc did not answer. Instead, he merely lowered his head and began to chew on his bottom lip.

"Jessica was last seen wandering outside at night. She told me that she had heard a crash from outside and went to investigate. She did not return." The Doc sighed, exasperated. "We found her, a little time later, laying outside in the street. We hadn't even heard her scream."

"And since then…" Algernon stepped up. "…she's been in a coma."

"That was about three months ago," The Doc glanced back and forth between Vash and Algernon. "I have done some investigating on this matter and found the possible cure to wake Jessica from this horrible curse upon her."

"Keahnu," Meryl said forcefully, "Why didn't you inform us of this? We would've come—"

"And then what?" Doc interrupted. "I didn't even discover the cure until just recently."

Meryl left her mouth agape, and then pointed to Vash, bringing up a new matter that had also caught her attention. "Mr. Vash, you know Keahnu and Jessica?"

"Keahnu?" Vash became puzzled.

"That's enough, Meryl," The Doc silenced her with a wave of his hand. "Just call me 'Doc'." Hastily he added, "There is no need to be so formal around old acquaintances, is there?"

Meryl snapped her mouth shut, defeated. But her gaze on Vash did not soften. "You know them?" She repeated.

"Well," Vash nodded. "I guess you could say that they're old friends of mine."

"Doc," Meryl turned her head. "You know this broom-head!?"

"He already confirmed that, didn't he?" Doc shrugged.

"But anyway," Vash changed the subject. "You said that you found a way to save Jessica, right? Tell me, please."

Meryl's face darkened.

"Certainly," Doc rubbed his eyes and turned his attention towards the entire group. "This spell isn't rare, but only uncommon. Only Necromancers know the spell, which is why it leaves me curious. I still am unsure of who did this. But that doesn't mean that I can't cure Jessica. It only means that I am going to need some proper ingredients to do the trick."

"I'll do it, Doc!" Vash volunteered.

"You don't even know what you're volunteering for, you moron." Meryl growled. Soft chuckling could be heard from the other side of the room. "Wait until he's explained everything before you just raise your hand in the air, will you?"

"Yes well," Even the Doc had to stifle a few hiccups. "As I was saying, I need some ingredients to cure Jessica of this sleeping spell. Fortunately, there is a mountain nearby, untouched by humans until a few years ago when we found it. It's been under our protection ever since, although we ourselves choose not to venture there. Therefore, Geo plants have been able to grow freely atop the mountain. I need a certain variety of Geo plants in order to perform the experiment I wish to try."

"I'll still go, Doc!" Vash stood up from his chair and pounded a fist on his chest. "Just give me the list of ingredients and I'll be back faster than a thomas that's been stung by a speeding bullet."

"Vash…" BDN looked at him oddly. "That's the worst cliché I have ever heard in my life. Please, spare us the grief."

Vash flushed but smiled anyway. "Still, maybe I could use a helping hand, Brilliant. Would you care to join me?"

"And miss out on Mordeh's famous sightseeing? Not a chance."

"I'll go!" Celestia raised her hand high into the air. "I'll go with you, Mr. Vash!"

Vash burst out into laughter at her enthusiasm. "Certainly, Celestia. I would enjoy your company."

"As will I," Meryl volunteered immediately afterwards. "Just to keep you out of trouble."

Demonte paused, unsure of what to do. He sighed, knowing that as long as the girl remained in a coma, THEY would remain in Mordeh. "I'll go too," He said, rising from his chair.

"Excellent!" Doc seemed pleased. "You four will venture to the mountain then," The Doc stood up as well. "I will prepare the list that I need and you can set off as soon as possible." Doc turned towards Ingway, BDN, and Milly. "As for you three, I have some other business for you to take care of."

"All right! Leave it to us!" Milly smiled.

Demonte was waiting outside of the church when Meryl approached him from behind.

"It really is a beautiful city," She remarked. "One of my good friends used to be friends with his Holiness before Mordeh was even constructed."

"You mean, Algernon?" Demonte glanced down at the concrete steps.

"Yes. Him and Algernon were very good friends. I don't suppose that you know that this church was built in his honor."

"You make it seem like your friend is dead," Demonte commented.

Meryl stiffened. "Well…he is."

Demonte remained emotionless.

Meryl hesitated, but continued. "His name was Nicholas. He was a priest just like Algernon. I suppose that that was why he and Algernon got along so well. Algernon used to tell us tales about a mysterious priest who traveled to make money for his orphanage. When I asked who it was, he replied that it was a man named Nicholas."

"How was he killed?"

"He was…" Meryl paused. "…murdered."

Demonte tilted his head towards her. "I'm sorry. That must've been very tragic for you."

Meryl sighed. "It was more tragic for Milly. They both seemed so close…"

"She seems to be okay now."

"She only pretends. Secretly inside, I know that she's hurting…" Meryl closed her eyes. "More than anyone could ever know…"

Demonte mimicked the sigh, and stood up from his seat on the church steps. Turning to Meryl, he held out a hand to her. "For now, we have to focus on moving ahead. Let's just go to the mountain and get the Geo plants."

Meryl took his hand and stood, coming up two heads shorter than him. "I know. But I know Jessica. I can't abandon her. I'm willing to risk my life for my companions…that's my job."

"You shouldn't hope for it to come to your life."

Meryl looked at him awkwardly, and shook her head. "No, no, you're most certainly right." Then she laughed. "Most certainly."

The cathedral doors opened and Vash and Celestia emerged with Doc shuffling slowly behind.

"I finished the list," Doc said, handing it to Meryl. "You're in charge Meryl, so don't lose the list."

"I know," Meryl replied. "I won't."

"Where's the mountain at, Doc?" Vash glanced down at the small man.

"About five iles to the west from here. It's quite a large mountain and the mountain path hasn't been cleared for quite a few years, so do be careful."

"Gotcha, Doc," Vash nodded and turned back to Demonte and Celestia. "You guys sure that you want to go? It's not exactly your problem."

"I can't just leave a person in need!" Celestia put her tiny hands upon her hips. "Besides, what if something happened to you guys and I wasn't there to help?"

"Of course," Vash grinned. "And you, Demonte?"

Demonte shrugged. "The faster we get the ingredients, the faster we can get back and head to Roklen. You haven't forgotten about the bandits from the ruins, have you?"

"Bandits?" Doc's eyes widened. "Vash, what's this that you're not telling me?"

"Don't worry, Doc," Vash reassured, "Just as you said before, we'll have plenty of time to recollect later."

"All right," The Doc agreed, defeated. "But remember to explain yourself when we get back, you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Vash waved him off. "I won't forget."

"Pardon my intrusion," Demonte interrupted, stepping in between the two. "But shouldn't we get going?"

"He's right," Meryl said, a hint of vexation residing in her voice. "We need to hurry and go."

Doc nodded. "Remember, five iles to the west. We're counting on you."

The four nodded in unison, and turned, setting forth towards the mountain.

Demonte held himself in the back, slowing his steps along the road.

_'I have never seen anyone so determined before,'_ Demonte thought to himself_. 'Perhaps, humans aren't so self-indulged after all…' _He glanced at Meryl. _'She seems so strong and her will is implausible. How can one risk their life to help others?' _He turned to Vash. _'And this man…his image is strikingly similar to hers. Perhaps there's a connection…?'_ He held his breath. _'Was Rohgsworn wrong after all? No matter how much I try to tear them apart, their spirits seem to stay intact. Why is that?'_

Sighing, he lowered his head. _'I'll never understand human concept.' _He shuffled his feet along the concrete, awaiting their next destination.

Bwahahaha! The next chapter will be fun! Only cause the group gets separated and…Oops. Don't want to spoil it all for you. ^_^ Questions? Comments? Confused? Etc…? Feel free to e-mail me!

Oh…darn. We have new characters. Welps. Guess I'm adding onto the character list. Check down below:

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Doc: First appeared in Chapter 14. He appeared in Trigun in Episode 20: Flying Ship and Episode 21: Out Of Time as the person who knows who Vash really is and all about his mission to battle Knives. He also gave Vash his gun arm when Knives shot Vash's arm off.

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Jessica: First appeared in Chapter 14. She appeared in Episode 20: Flying Ship and Episode 21: Hang Fire as the little girl who is hopelessly in love with Vash. She's known Vash since she was very small and has always looked up to him. Unfortunately Vash doesn't help any with Brad's chances to getting Jessica to go out with him.

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Algernon: First appeared in Chapter 14. Algernon is an OC who is an important figure in Mordeh. He is the Head Priest and supposedly, he knew Wolfwood.

There we go. ^_^ Confused no more! At least, character wise I hope you're not. But if you are, feel free to let me know.

BLD


	16. And The Mist Rolls In

Disclaimer: Give me a break. I doubt anyone even reads this disclaimer it's gotten so boring to read/write. But in case you HAVE to know. I STILL (See the STILL?) DON'T own Trigun.

A/N: PLEASE READ! Lol no it's not the notice for the discontinuation of this story. HA! Far from it. Actually, I've gotten asked this several times and (um…lol) while it's not exactly a question about the story, I feel that it needs to be answered anyway. So, here's the question:

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Will there eventually be Vash/Meryl romance in this story?

Well my desperate romance fanatics, I don't REALLY want to spoil the story for you…(Heh, as it is, things don't look too hot for the couple anyway) But I GUESS that I have to say… ^_^ Maybe. (Oh come on people, when authors usually put MAYBE, don't you know that it almost always means YES? LMAO)

GASP! I've said too much. Why don't you just read this chapter? It's actually kind of fluffy in some parts. grin

BTW my happy little friends, I'm am OH-SO-CLOSE to putting up a web site devoted to Engel and Hunting For The Elusive Mayfly Known As Love…Not. If you would like to donate anything (You don't HAVE to, obviously, but it would be nice) such as fanart revolving around either story or both or anything else that's nice, please e-mail me. 

Anyway, ON with the chapter!

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Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Fifteen

And The Mist Rolls In

__

"You're giving me too many things

Lately you're all I need

You smiled at me and said,

'Don't get me wrong I love you

But does that mean I have to meet your father?

When we are older you'll understand

What I meant when I said "No,

I don't think life is quite that simple"

****

When you walk away

You don't hear me say please

Oh baby, don't go

Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight

It's hard to let it go…"

-Hikki (Lyrics from Simple and Clean)

****

"It sure looks dark up there," Celestia commented, chills running up her spine.

"I really hadn't hoped for us to arrive at night," Meryl said, following Celestia's gaze. "But I guess we can't turn around now. We'll have to find the Geo Plants Doc wants."

"What's the rush?" Celestia laughed nervously. "Why don't we look for them tomorrow?"

"Because we need to get back to Mordeh as soon as possible." Demonte cut in. "In case you forgot, we have to get to Roklen."

Celestia sighed, miserably. "I know, I know."

"Aw, come on, Celestia," Vash tried his hardest to lighten the atmosphere. "You're not afraid of a little fog and darkness, are you?"

Celestia took the statement as mockery and swung a punch at Vash, who swiftly dodged. Celestia wound her arm up again, and Demonte grabbed a hold of her arms. "Why you little…" Celestia growled. "Let me go!"

"You're acting childish!" Demonte's eyes narrowed as he struggled to keep his grip on Celestia. "Don't get upset over THAT! He didn't mean anything by it anyway!"

"But…umpf, he MOCKED me…"

"I know he 'MOCKED' you! Now settle down before I resort to something drastic!" Demonte threatened.

Vash hid behind Meryl, using her as a human shield. "Yeah, he's right! I didn't mean anything, honest!"

Irritated, Meryl turned around and stomped her foot against the gravel. "WILL YOU BE QUIET!?" She shouted, mostly at Vash.

Everyone immediately became silent and Meryl breathed in heavily. "Thank you. Now, if we're done acting like five-year-olds…" Her eyes darted to Vash on the last remark. "Maybe we can get focused on REAL matters and our task at hand."

"What plants are we looking for?" Demonte asked, releasing Celestia.

Meryl unfolded the list and began to read aloud from it. "He wants one of each of the following Geo Plants: Iisluk, Xerphic, Torcoph, and Rezith."

Vash blinked. "Those are some…interesting names…"

"I didn't even know that there were specific types of Geo Plants…" Celestia rubbed her chin.

"First of all," Meryl glanced at Vash. "The names are from a dead language that was spoken long ago. Secondly…" She diverted her attention to Celestia. "It's new technology. Geo Plants have been used as medical herbs for the past two years now. Doc's been studying up on them and has identified them by naming them."

"With a dead language?" Vash sighed. "That sounds just like Doc. He always wants to make things so complicated. Why couldn't he just name them 'Green Geo plant' or, 'Yellow Geo plant'…?"

"Because that isn't specific enough." Meryl rolled her eyes. "Now let's stop wasting time and climb the mountain."

Before they could respond, Meryl had already brushed past them and began to stomp up the mountain.

"Hey!" Celestia called out. "Don't leave me behind with these guys!"

"We're not THAT bad," Vash shook his head and followed after.

"Who has the torch?" Meryl called over her shoulder.

"I do," Vash called back as he removed a lighter from his pocket and proceed to light the torch that the Doc had given him.

"Hmm…" Meryl scrutinized the list of Geo Plants. "According to the pinpoint location that we're at and the supposed location of the Geo Plants—which are on the top of the mountain—we should probably be heading into the Geo plant region shortly."

"How can you be so sure?" Vash asked. "Even 'I' don't know where we are." Vash held the torch towards the list and Meryl pushed his arm away.

"Don't get so close or you'll light the map on fire."

"Sorry," He shrugged.

"I've been doing this for a long time," She replied, not glancing up from the map even once. "I'm almost positive that the Geo plant region is approximately two or three iles away."

Celestia stretched her arms high above her head. "Mmm, good! It's almost over."

Demonte peered over the mountain. It had to be a straight drop that led 200 or 300 feet down to someone's death. He shivered. It was very cold tonight. "Don't let the torch blow out," He told Vash. "It's getting cold and a breeze is heading this way."

"Don't worry," Vash smiled. "I'll be careful."

Abruptly, Celestia halted in her tracks.

"Hmm? What's wrong Celestia?" Meryl asked. "Why did you stop?"

"…Something's coming," She whispered.

Only the wind howling against the mountain ridge could be heard.

"I don't hear anything," Meryl shrugged.

"Wait," Vash silenced Meryl. "I DO hear something." He lowered his head in attempt to capture the sound and immediately jerked his head upwards and pointed above them to another ridge. "Up there!"

Everyone followed his gaze. A moment later, a dark beast emerged, and stared them down.

"W-What the hell is that!?" Celestia reached for her gun.

"Hold on," Vash whispered. "Don't kill it!"

"Vash, now is NOT the time to be a softie!" Meryl hissed. "That monster doesn't look too friendly."

"I don't care," He retorted. "Just don't kill it!"

In the midst of the argument, the beast took this as a window of opportunity and leaped off of its own ridge and landed below, preventing anyone from escaping.

"Stop fighting!" Demonte shouted as he kept his eyes on the beast.

"I-It's so big…" Celestia quaked. "Since when did monsters get THAT big?"

The large beast lowered its head and snarled, revealing large white teeth.

"Those teeth are bigger than me!" Celestia shrieked and hid behind Demonte.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll take care of it." He tried to blot out the never-ending argument between Vash and Meryl, who weren't even paying attention to the beast. Reaching for his gun, he aimed the barrel at the monster and prepared to pull the trigger.

The beast shifted its weight to its back legs and rose high into the air until it stood on its hind legs and roared.

The ground began to shake violently and rocks began to tumble from higher peaks. Demonte shielded his head with his arms and looked up at the 50-foot beast.

__

'Why is it so big?' Demonte bit his lip. And then he remembered_. 'Of course! Felnarl! The large beasts that attacked us…I remember now…'_

But before he could share his discovery with the others, the beast had already thundered back onto its fore legs, shaking the entire mountain and began to charge for the four.

"Look out!" Demonte leapt into the air and pushed Celestia out of the way. He felt the hair on the beast brush past him just before he and Celestia hit the ground.

By now, Vash and Meryl had quit their bickering and were frozen in their tracks as the beast approached.

"Run you morons!" Demonte screamed at them.

Vash suddenly found the strength to run and began to run back down the mountain. Meryl gulped and followed after, sprinting at incredible speed.

"Now what are we supposed to do, wise guy!?" Meryl passed Vash and ran ahead.

"First of all, how about waiting for me!?" He skidded, and the ground began to crack underneath them.

"Watch out!" Celestia jumped to her feet. "The ground!"

Meryl jerked her head downwards, and shrieked. She stepped forward, but her footing gave way as the ledge broke away from the mountain. Her body jerked forward as she fell into the pit of darkness. Pain flooded her body as her arm made contact with a large rock surviving only on the mountain's edge. The flesh from her skin was torn open and a sudden coolness took control of her numb arm.

__

'No…' She closed her eyes, the pain slowly disappearing from her body_. 'It can't end here…not now…'_ Meryl's heart stopped beating as she braced herself for the impact below.

Two arms wrapped themselves around her waist and she turned her head. Anger flooded her as she immediately forgot the situation. "Are you trying to use me as a cushion Mr. Vash the Stampede!?"

"Just shut up and hang on!" He retorted and scraped his hand along the mountainside, desperate to cling onto anything.

Much to their surprise, their speed began to decrease and Vash was left hanging single-handedly on a protruding boulder. His other arm was wrapped tightly around Meryl's waist. "See? That wasn't so bad now, was it?" He smiled.

"Baka!" She pounded on his chest. "How are we supposed to get up!?"

"Geez, never grateful. I was just getting to that. But first I wanted to stop us from falling to our sudden deaths. Now, on the other hand, it's going to be pretty tough to climb back up with extra weight on my back. Would you suggest for me to just drop you and let me save myself?"

Meryl pouted. "Not funny."

Demonte and Celestia watched as the mountainside collapsed, leading their friends to their certain doom.

"NO!" Celestia cried and turned towards the beast. "Bastard," She gritted her teeth. "You will pay."

But the beast merely snarled and leapt back up the mountain and over another ridge, disappearing into the mist.

"Damn it all!" Celestia cursed. Turning back towards Demonte, she grabbed the collar of his cloak and began to shake him. "What are we supposed to do now, smart guy!?"

"Go and look for the Geo Plants of course."

Celestia couldn't believe his lack of sympathy. "OUR FRIENDS JUST DIED YOU JERK! AND YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR GEO PLANTS AT A TIME LIKE THIS!?"

He clamped a hand over her mouth. "Would you mind being just a little bit quieter?" Sighing, "They're not dead."

"What?" She stepped backwards. "What do you mean 'they're not dead'!? We just saw them plummet over the cliff and you're telling me, 'they're not dead'!?"

He grabbed his head, feeling the pounding in his temples. "Would you just be quiet for a moment!? I know that they're not dead because that's Vash the Stampede for crying out loud!"

"What's that have to do with anything!?"

"He's the Legendary Gunman, the Humanoid Typhoon! Certainly you're not led to misbelieve his superior powers, right? He can get himself out of any predicament. Trust me. Besides, aren't you a psychic? Stop over-reacting and do something like predict the future, okay?"

"Well," She huffed. "You don't seem to be so worried about them."

"I'm not. I know that they're fine. Now let's just look for the Geo Plants before that beast comes back." Celestia remained unconvinced. "Trust me." He said again.

"This isn't so bad," Meryl said, holding onto Vash's shoulders as he proceeded to climb back up the cliff side. His back collided with her front and she clung to him tighter.

"Hmph. Easy for you to say." Vash paused, resting, and then brought up another leg as he glanced down for a foothold. "You're not the one doing all of the climbing." Vash brought his head up and caught sight of a small ledge just a little ways above them. Fortunately, it was big enough for them both to rest upon. "I'm going to head for that ledge up there. Maybe it will give us both a break."

He sidestepped carefully across the cliff side until he was parallel with the underside of the ledge. "Perfect," He grinned and continued to climb higher. "Almost there."

Meryl followed his gaze towards the ledge and sighed. "What rotten luck."

"Hey, don't be so ungrateful." Vash reached his arm out to grasp the edge of the extensive ledge. "We're alive aren't we?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh really?" He pulled himself over the edge and deposited Meryl onto the surface.

Meryl sat upright, breathing hard. "Really. I just meant that after everything that's been going on lately, I was hoping that we would be able to get the plants without trouble." She almost smiled as she turned her eyes back to his. "I guess that nothing nice ever follows you, even still. Am I right, Vash the Stampede?"

"Yeah I guess so," He agreed, not really paying attention. He was only happy that he had finally found a place to rest his back. Carrying twice his weight upon a steep cliff was not an easy task.

She sighed, sensing the hint of mediocre in his tone. "Vash it wouldn't kill you to at least TRY to cooperate until we get out of this situation."

"Hey, I'm not the pessimistic one here."

"I wasn't being pessimistic!"

"'What rotten luck.' What do you call that?"

"Hey, I told you that I didn't mean it that way!"

"Well then that's just fine then, huh?"

"Yeah, I think it is!" Meryl turned her head away, scowling.

"Good." Vash mimicked her movement and sat on the far side of the ledge. "Then I guess that we have nothing to discuss, right?"

"That's right."

Demonte took the lead up the mountain with Celestia close by his side.

"How much further?" She whispered.

"How much further what?"

"Until we find the forest of Geo Plants."

"I don't know, why are you asking me? Meryl had the list and Vash had the torch."

"Yeah, I was about to comment how dark it was too."

"Well, obviously I knew that it was dark because I can't see a friggin' thing in front of my fa—"

"Shhh!" Celestia interrupted. "I heard something."

Demonte paused for a moment, listening for any kind of movement. He shrugged and looked at her. "It's nothing." He assured her. "Let's keep moving." He took a few more steps until Celestia brusquely snapped her arm around Demonte's. He stopped, and looked down at the connected arms. "Do you mind telling me what this is?"

She blushed, but it was invisible to Demonte because of the darkness around them. "I-I just don't like the dark, that's all."

Rolling his eyes and letting out an exasperated sigh, Demonte continued forward as Celestia stayed clung to his arm.

"How are we going to see for what kind of plants we need?" She asked.

"You're the psychic. You tell me."

She bit her lip. "Well…do you remember the names of the plants?"

He laughed. "I think Meryl was more of the Geo plant expert than us. I don't even know what to look for."

"Then why did we walk up this mountain if we don't even know what we're looking for?"

"A plant's a plant, right? He only wants one of each so let's just grab them all."

"We still can't see." She pointed out.

"We'll figure out something," He said, beginning to grow weary of her remarks, although he knew deep down that she was right.

"That's not telling me much," Celestia muttered.

"Well, do you have another plan?"

"Yeah, let's go back and find Vash and Meryl."

He stopped mid-step and looked at her. "You can get very annoying at times, you know that?"

"What's wrong with coming up with good ideas?" She protested.

"Nevermind."

Meryl grimaced in pain as she rolled up the sleeve of her trench coat. Blood stained her forearm and the main source of it came from a hefty looking wound. She suddenly remembered that she had gotten it while falling down the cliff side.

Clutching her wounded arm in one hand, she glanced around for anything useful to bandage it with. Seeing nothing, she continued to hold her arm, feeling the blood soak through her trench coat and leather gloves.

"What's the matter?" Vash asked. He had obviously caught sight of her wound.

"It's nothing," She said quickly and hid her wounded arm.

"Looks pretty serious for being nothing," He said, crawling over to her. "Let me see it." He reached for her arm but she snatched it out of his reach.

"I can handle it," She told him. As she pulled her arm backwards, it collided with the back of the cliff. A surge of pain fled up and down her arm. Nearly screaming, Meryl quickly held her wounded arm close to her chest and closed her eyes, breathing heavily.

"Are you all right?" Vash asked, becoming concerned.

"No," She said fiercely through gritted teeth. "I am NOT all right."

"Dammit," He sighed. "Just give me your arm already!"

"It's fine!" She protested.

"Well obviously it's not, and I can't carry you back up the mountain with a wounded arm and I'm CERTAINLY not going to leave you here. So either you give me your arm or I'll take it by force." He said challengingly.

Deciding not to argue any longer, Meryl growled and held her arm out for show. "It's no big deal," She said as he examined her forearm.

"Oh yes it is," He said reaching into his pocket for a bandage. "The skin is torn way beyond Band-Aid repair."

"So what do you suggest?"

"I keep an extra pouch in my coat for emergencies like these. I'll have to use stitches."

"Really? It's that bad?"

"Well, it's not good."

Leaning back against the rock, Meryl kept her arm outstretched as Vash reached into his coat to find the necessary tools. "How long do you think that it will take?" She asked.

"Until I'm done."

"Which is?"

"Hey, if I do a lousy job, the stitches won't work properly. Do you want to die of internal bleeding?"

Meryl shrugged. "You're the doctor."

"Here, over here," Celestia motioned to her comrade. "I can see the forest of the Geo Plants."

Demonte jogged up the mountain path and followed Celestia's gaze. "Sure is. Now all we have to do is find the Geo Plants."

"I still don't know how we're going to be able to find them. It's already too dark and we have no idea what we're looking for."

"Well, to tell you the truth," Demonte said, brushing past her. "I actually have some knowledge about Geo Plants."

"You should've TOLD me that back down there!" She trudged after him into the forest. "And all this time I thought that you were an idiot."

"There's just no pleasing you, is there?" He said shaking his head.

"What about a torch? How are we going to see the plants?"

"I have it under control," Demonte said, showing off his right arm. "Watch this."

"Forbidden Magicks?" She folded her arms over her chest. "You plan on using Forbidden Magicks?"

"You read my mind," He mocked and turned his attention towards his hand.

Summoning forth his power, Demonte's arm began to illuminate with a bright light. "With this, we can see the forest and the Geo Plants much more easily now." He held his arm above his head as he searched the Geo Plants. "What was the first one? Izlip?"

"Iisluk," Celestia corrected. "I wish I could help, but I know nothing about Geo Plants. And I doubt that my psychic powers would come in handy now."

"That's all right," He said, searching deeper within the bushes. "I'll handle it." He brushed away twigs and leaves as he repeated the name over and over. "Iisluk, Iisluk…Hmmm, I think that that one is an orange and yellow colored flower type thing."

"You THINK?" Celestia slumped over miserably. "Wonderful."

Demonte chose to ignore her and resumed his searching. "Orange and yellow, orange and yellow…Ah! Here it is!" Reaching further behind the bush, he tore the root of the Iisluk from the ground and held it out to Celestia. "We have to put it somewhere so that it'll stay moist. If it dries up, it won't be effective in Doc's medicine."

"I'll hold onto it," Celestia offered, taking the plant from Demonte. "Since you're the Geo plant _'expert'_, you need your hands free for that kind of thing." Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "But for your sake, you had better be right about these plants."

"Was that a threat?" He laughed. She growled, but kept her cool. "I told you, I have it under control, trust me."

Turning back around, he began to hunt for more of the plants. Brushing away dirt from the ground where he had thought plants might have been hiding, he crept closer to a patch of grass. "What does the next one look like?" Celestia asked from behind him. "Do you know?"

"The next one is Xerphic, right?"

"Oh, very good. You got it right this time."

"Shut up," He told her and shifted the grass around to find the Geo plant. "That one is a purple flower with pink splotches on the bottom of each petal."

"Easy or hard to find?"

"Hmm, well it's not rare but it is uncommon. From my knowledge, Xerphic in the old days was used as a tranquilizer for humans when they had an unbearable disease and wanted to ease the pain. Xerphic was used so much that it eventually became harder to find." He began to dig through the bushes. "I'm sure you could find them anywhere within mountain ranges but low-field embodiments are out of the question."

"I thought that Meryl said that Geo Plants were just recently made into medicines and herbs." Celestia argued.

"Yeah she did. But I know from somewhere, someone had once told me of a place where plants WERE used as medicine." Demonte shrugged. "Back in the old days of course. We just recently discovered cures here on Gunsmoke; not from where I was told. Back on a distant planet, plants were commonly used as medicine."

"Wow…" Celestia remarked, impressed.

"But anyway, although the cures were just recently discovered, it's the Geo Plants we're going to have to find. THAT'S not going to be so easy due to the climate of where they grow and the rarity of finding them."

"Now that you bring up the past, Demonte, maybe there were a lot more variety of Geo Plants before human life inhabited the planet and now that we're here, most of the Geo Plants have died off." Celestia suggested.

"It's a possibility. All I know is that we're suffering from human mistakes of the past without really knowing why. If it's true that each man has a destiny, then is it our destiny to pick up the cross from where our ancestors left off?"

"No one knows for certain," Celestia said, holding the Geo plant closer to her. "But maybe one day we'll know for sure." 

Lol told you this chapter was fun. Relentless Vash/Meryl, huh? ^_^ Well, let me know what you thought of it. Still waiting for questions, but I'm pretty glad that I haven't gotten any. (No offense! Please don't take it as though I really hate answering questions ^^') What I mean is that maybe I'm doing a good job in clarifying things and that maybe there isn't a need for questions. Don't get me wrong; if you have a question I want you to ASK me. I just finally got most of the Trigun Timeline for this story figured it and I'm trying to explain everything in depth. Anyway, if you have info to offer as well, please help me out.

R&R too please. ^_^ Nicely though.

BLD


	17. The Cry Of The Mountain

Disclaimer: I still don't own Trigun. Happy? Happy.

A/N: I GOT MY SITE UP!

View my profile page for the web address. I can't post it on the story because FF.Net will give me a hard time. ^^'

Be sure to check it out if you get the chance. ^_^

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Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Sixteen

The Cry Of The Mountain

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'Hello, is there anybody out there?

I'm alone hanging by a thread

Everywhere around the world

Everybody's waiting for someday

Calling out around the world

Maybe someday might be tonight?

Hook me up'

-Bon Jovi (Lyrics from Hook Me Up)

****

"Almost done," Vash said as he began to wrap the bandage around Meryl's arm. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

"It hurt like hell," She grumbled. "But thanks anyway."

"No problem," He said as he tied off the bandage.

Meryl pulled her arm back and rolled down the sleeve of her trench coat. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, judging from our distance from the top of this cliff…" Vash looked up. "Which seems to be a few dozen feet up, I suppose that we'll have to climb."

"You still want to climb? Why not look for another way back up the mountain?"

"Because that will take too long. Besides, do you see any other ledges around here?" Vash turned and lowered himself to one knee. "Climb onto my back."

"I hate making you carry extra weight," She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he stood up, adjusting his weight with hers as she locked her legs around his waist.

"I would make you climb yourself, but you'll tear the stitches," He said as he reached for the first foothold. "And don't think that I'm letting you this close to me because I want to. I really don't have a choice."

"And the same goes for you too," Meryl agreed. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't have brought you along."

"I guess that makes us even." He grunted as he grabbed hold of another protruding rock above him.

Though her anger rang true in her voice, Meryl couldn't help but feel a little saddened by Vash's icy words. She clung onto him tighter and nuzzled her face into his cloak. _'I missed you,'_ she said to herself.

"That's almost all of them," Celestia said as Demonte handed her the Torcoph. "Now, we need to find the Rezith."

"That one is going to prove most difficult to find." Demonte said. "I doubt that it would be here so let's try up the mountain a little bit further."

"Is that one rare?"

"Yes, and it only grows in dark musty places. Such as caves, mines, or in between certain rocks."

"How do you know that there would even be such a place on this mountain?"

"I don't, but we'll have to try, right?" Demonte stood up and brushed the dirt from his cloak and continued forward. "After all, aren't we in this to save Jessica?"

"Hey…?" Celestia followed after her companion. "Since when have you become a nice caring guy? You're always telling me that nothing matters but your mission." Demonte stayed silent. "Oh come on Dem! What's the ulterior motive?"

"You mean you haven't read my mind lately?"

"You told me to give you some privacy when it comes to your own personal affairs. I'm just doing what I was told."

"Ha! That's a first."

"That hurts you know," Celestia acted crush. "But seriously, what's the deal?"

"I'm only out to do this so that we can get back on track. Our real mission is to get to Roklen, remember?"

"Oh shoot, Dem," Celestia sighed as she scuffed her foot against the ground. "Do you really intend on involving these innocent people in your business with Granus?"

"I'm only out to bring Vash the Stampede to Roklen."

"You want for him to help you against the Alchemists and the I.T.F.?"

"The rumors, Celestia, the rumors. If I can get him to use his true powers to side with Hell's Mafia and destroy Granus, then there won't be a need to involve Meryl and the others."

"But you know that there are past connections between them all. They aren't going to part just for your agenda, right?"

"That's why I told him that Knives is behind Hell's Mafia. So far, my plan is working perfectly. If I lead them there, it won't necessarily be to put Meryl and her friends in danger, it's only because I need Vash the Stampede's help."

"I sure hope there aren't any casualties due to your lack of planning." Celestia said, barely above audibility.

"There won't be," Demonte said sternly. "I'm not an all out killer, you know."

Demonte was stopped dead in his tracks. Twigs snapped in the distance, and pounding footsteps had disturbed the vegetation…Pounding footsteps? Celestia and Demonte found themselves in the mouth of a dark and damp cave.

"What's wrong?" Celestia asked…a little TOO loudly.

"Quiet!" Demonte hissed and turned his head back towards where the noise had come. "You don't hear that?"

"What?" Celestia whispered.

"Listen," He commanded. Not a moment later came the abrupt slithering across the plains.

Celestia gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth. "Is it that beast again!?"

"No," Demonte said, pulling Celestia into the cave with him. "It's something else…"

They hid themselves in the darkness of the cave, running further and further into the corridors of the stone walls. "If we run further into the cave, will it leave us alone?" Celestia asked, breathing heavily.

"Don't ask me, I'm not the beast."

The two finally halted in a clearing and doubled over to catch their breaths.

"I…I don't…hear him…anymore," Celestia heaved.

"Keep your guard up," Demonte warned. "You never know when that beast will be back."

Turning his head, Demonte caught the vivid outline of a small stream running through the cracks in the cave walls. "I think we might be getting closer," He said. "Where there's water, there are bound to be Geo Plants nearby."

"Then let's follow it and get the hell out of here. I don't want to run into whatever was following us."

Demonte followed alongside the stream as Celestia kept her distance with caution. She looked over her shoulder every few seconds, just to make sure that nothing scary was sneaking up on them. She slowly stuffed the Geo Plants inside of her dress.

The corridor led them around a corner and down inside of the cave. Demonte's hand was still lit with a blinding light as he used it to help them maneuver around the cave.

The stream began to grow wider until it formed into a small lake in the middle of a cavern. Moss and many varieties of plants hung from the walls, giving it an odd look of decoration.

"Do you think that we'll find the plant in here?" Celestia inquired.

"There's only one way to find out," Demonte said, stepping towards the moss-covered walls. "We'll have to start searching."

He began to scrutinize the plants, examining each one closely.

"What does it look like?"

"Well," Demonte bit his bottom lip. "This one I'm not sure about, but I read in a book somewhere that a Rezith Geo Plant shimmers when the roots are torn."

"Wow," Celestia said, fascinated. "Maybe it's like it's crying or saying goodbye or…"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Demonte interrupted. "Either way, I'll just pluck every Geo Plant I see and see which one shimmers."

"But what about all the other plants?"

"What about them?"

"Well," Celestia paused. "You're taking their life and it will be all for nothing if you don't use them…"

"Celestia, they're just PLANTS." Demonte rolled his eyes. "And I don't want to hear another word. Let me find the Rezith all right?"

"But—"

"NOT another word." He repeated. She fell silent and lowered her head.

"Well," Vash said as he pulled his body over the cliff. "That was quite a climb." Meryl crawled off of his back unwillingly and rolled over onto her back. Staring up into the foggy night she sighed. She missed the warmness she had felt from holding Vash.

"Now comes the hard part. Where do you think those two ran off to?" Meryl looked over at Vash.

"Celestia and Demonte?" Vash asked.

"Know anyone else on this mountain?"

"Besides the monsters lurking about?" Vash stretched his arms high above his head. "Nah."

Meryl used the last of her momentum to swing herself to her feet and then turned. "I don't think that they could've gone to find the Geo Plants. I mean, do they even have any experience with Geo Plants?"

"Demonte probably," Vash responded. "He seems like he knows a lot."

"Yeah, maybe so," Meryl said, rubbing her chin. "I don't know the first thing about that guy, much less his own face."

"Well I doubt that they've climbed back down without us, so there's nowhere left to go but up."

Vash started back up the mountain path with Meryl close behind. They hadn't made it very far when a blood-curdling howl rang into the sky. Meryl stopped.

The ground darkened as a huge body leapt overhead and landed on the ground fiercely. The ground rumbled and ruptured beneath the animal's massive form. Vash and Meryl fought to keep their balance as the animal snared at them.

"I-Isn't that the same beast that attacked us from before?" Meryl asked, fear overcoming her.

"Uh-huh…" Vash merely bobbed his head up and down, his eyes glued on the huge black beast.

"It looks like a wolf…" Meryl said, backing away from it.

"Don't move," Vash hissed. "It'll pounce for sure!"

But it was too late. The beast leaned back on its hind legs and leaped over the duo. It landed only inches away from Meryl. Spinning around on her heel, she was greeted with a large black nose protruding from a furry snout. Her knees quaked and she reached for her Taurus. Vash's eyes widened and he pushed the gun back into her holster.

"Don't kill it!" He commanded.

"Well, what do you want me to do, let it eat me!?" Meryl hissed.

The beast took this as an open opportunity as it snatched Meryl up in its mouth and carried her up the mountain.

"What the!?" Meryl noticed that the ground had suddenly become inches away from her face. "Put me down!" She ranted and raved but the beast would not assent.

Vash watched, horrified, as the beast, began a mad dash up the mountain path. He finally regained his senses and followed it.

"VASH!" Meryl screamed. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE, NOW!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" He sprinted faster.

"Did you hear something?" Celestia asked.

"…No, why do you ask?"

"I just thought I heard a voice…that's all."

"It's probably your imagination," Demonte said, not taking his eyes away from the plants.

"But what if it was Meryl or Vash? What if they're in trouble?"

"They can handle themselves," Demonte said, unconcerned.

"Dammit Dem! I'm so sick and tired of your 'I-don't-care-' attitude! Why can't you just—"

Celestia immediately became at a loss for words as she saw a shadow appear on the cavern wall. Then her body began to move and feelings overwhelmed her. She charged towards Demonte and pushed him into the water. "Watch out!" She cried.

"What the—" SPLASH!

Celestia turned and was greeted by a swarm of vines, tying themselves, and her, to the wall. Her arms were contained above her head and the rest of her body was bound and tightly held in place, making it impossible to move around freely.

"Damn, wrong person," The shadow emerged from the shadows and Celestia barely made out his face. He snapped his fingers and the room became alit with torches on the cavern walls.

His thick curly black hair made his face invisible to Celestia. The brown cape tied around his neck swayed slightly as he turned to the water. "You're on my property," He said, licking his lips. "And I don't like trespassers."

"You…" Celestia squinted her eyes at him. "You're a hermit."

"Exactly. I thought that my little pet would've kept you out, but I guess that you two managed to sneak past him."

"You're using the Geo Plants for your own sick and twisted reasons! You created that beast and these vines." Celestia's eyes darkened. "Now all that's left is the question of how you've come to succeed in accomplishing that."

"Who told you that?" The man gritted his teeth. "Someone's been telling you about these things, haven't they? What else have they told you?"

"Of course…the water! You've been dumping hazardous chemicals into the water and it's affecting the entire mountain!"

"I don't know who the hell has been telling you all of this, but I suggest that you quit while you're ahead."

"Now the mountain is under YOUR control! So that really wasn't a Forbidden Beast at all…" Celestia turned her full attention to the man, and spat, "Just what gives you the right to tamper with Mother Nature!?"

"Enough!" The man clenched his fist together and the vines began to wrap even tighter around Celestia. Her face scrunched up with pain as the circulation to her body had been cut off.

He smiled and released the tight-hold on her. "Yes, I suppose you're right. The mountain is under my control. I found this mountain some time ago. I used to be a scientist, studying in one of the greatest cities in the world. When my plan of conquest had been turned down, I was banished, forever to remain isolated and live my life in misery. Once I found this mountain and all of its glory, I dubbed it mine. As you can see now, this is MY kingdom, and I don't take lightly to people stomping on my land."

"But this isn't your land!" Celestia objected. "It belongs to the planet, not to you!"

"Silence! Or do you wish to see what this kingdom of mine can REALLY do?"

From under the water, Demonte began to slowly emerge to the top, reaching for his revolver. He poked his eyes over the surface and submerged once again into the water.

"This is MY kingdom. And for your lack of cooperation and for your big mouth, I will have my loyal subjects attend to you."

Slowly stepping from the water and out of sight, Demonte rolled over onto his stomach and cocked his gun.

The man laughed as more vines began to squeeze themselves through the cracks in the cavern walls. Thorns pushed through the surface of the vines and deadly flowers bloomed from within the thorns.

"These are my personal favorites," The man sneered. "The poisonous part of these Geo Plants reside within the flowers themselves. There is no stopping the poison once it enters your bloodstream and eats away at your heart. These plants LOVE to consume humans…"

Celestia tried her hardest not to breathe as flowers began to bloom from the vines that had captured her.

"They shoot the venom from the inside of the flower and into the human; just like a doctor who gives his patient a shot."

Celestia watched as the flower below her neck began to vibrate and ready itself to inject her with the poison. She bit the inside of her cheek and closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the pain to come.

Then a gunshot sounded and the flower was destroyed. The vines quickly became much more alive and retreated into the cavern walls. Celestia was set free and she fell to her knees. Looking up, she saw Demonte's outstretched arm from behind the man. The hermit turned, and was met with a foot in the face. He was flung backward and Demonte twirled his gun around his index finger.

"Now that wasn't a very warm 'hello', mister," Demonte said smoothly. "Would you mind telling me what you're doing?"

"Who the hell are you!?" The man demanded.

"Your worst nightmare." Demonte said as he aimed the gun at the man's temple. "Now tell me, where can I find the Geo Plant, Rezith?"

"Why would I tell you that!?"

Demonte tightened his finger on the trigger. "I'm running out of patience. Now tell me where I can find it."

"Bite me," The man growled.

"All right, have it your way," Demonte said.

"Wait!" Celestia jumped in front of the man. "Don't kill him Dem!"

"Celestia, just what do you think that you're doing?"

"Don't kill him." She repeated.

"Are you crazy? He just tried to kill you!"

"But…it's not right."

"Celestia, get the hell out of the way. I don't have time for this."

The man snickered soundly as his body began to morph.

"Listen," Demonte said irritably. "You don't know what you're talking about. Now stop defending him and move!" Demonte's eyes darted upwards as a large shadow loomed over Celestia. "A demon?" Demonte whispered.

"What?" Celestia turned and shrieked. "WHAT IS THAT!?"

"Get back!" Demonte yanked her arm towards him. "I'll take care of it."

The demon roared and leaned backwards, ready to hurl a stream of fire at them.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Demonte said as he pulled the trigger on the gun. The bullets bounced off the demon's body and Demonte smiled. "Guess we'll play this the hard way."

Demonte jumped into the air and aimed his arm, like a gun, at the monster. His arm began to illuminate with a bright light, building up energy, until it exploded into a pillar of destruction, destroying the demon. The body blew apart, like a balloon with too much air. Dark blood coated the ground and cavern walls, and then melted away like acid.

"Demonte…" Celestia whispered.

"It was just a demon," Demonte said, smoke still lingering at his arm. "Hardly worthy of my time. Are you okay now?"

"Yes…T-Thank you for saving me." She said, her heart still pounding. "I suppose that his own experiments were what turned him into that monster…"

"Actually," Demonte said, leaning down to pick up something that Celestia couldn't see. "It should be me thanking you."

Celestia was taken aback at his words. "Oh…um…you're welcome." Smiling she watched as he handed something to her. 

"It's the Rezith. He had it with him the whole time." Turning back towards the direction they had come, he said, "I've always heard that Rezith was a powerful plant anyway."

"Yes, so we have all the plants now, right?"

"Yeah, let's go and find the others."

The beast stopped in mid-run on the mountain path, Meryl still in his clutches. With no master to control him, the beast had become abeyant. He began to sway from side to side as his eyes drooped and he tilted towards the cliff edge.

Vash halted behind the monster, unsure of its behavior. Meryl looked up at her abductor, also curious as to what its intentions were. When she saw that there was none, she began to scream.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" The beast then lost consciousness and fell over the cliff's ledge.

Vash dove to the beast's side and reached for Meryl, but seized only air. He watched in horror as the two fell deeper into the abyss of darkness. 

Then he saw another figure jump over the cliff and swing himself on a single tree branch growing from within the mountainside. His hand shot out and grabbed Meryl's ankle. They both hung in mid-air, neither saying a word. And then Vash recognized Meryl's rescuer.

"Demonte!" Celestia clutched her friend's arm and tugged. Vash regained his senses after a moment and helped.

"Demonte?" Meryl said, hanging upside-down. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Am I late?" He grunted as he was pulled back over the cliff. Meryl shook her head to clear out the dizziness and looked at Demonte.

"Thanks," She smiled. "But now we have to get the Geo Plants.

"That's already taken care of," Celestia grinned and gestured to her hands.

"But…how?" Meryl asked.

"I have my own knowledge of Geo Plants," Demonte said and looked at Vash, who didn't seem to be sharing the excitement his companions were.

"What's wrong, Vash?" Celestia asked.

"Nothing," He said. "Well, if our business here is done, then let's head back to Mordeh."

He was already starting down the mountain.

"What's wrong with him?" Celestia turned to Demonte.

"He's probably upset because he didn't get to play hero," Meryl shrugged.

"Well if he had wanted to, all he needed to do was ask," Demonte said.

"Don't let it bother you," Meryl waved it off and followed after Vash.

__

"But I still have to warn you."

"You can't really warn me about anything if you don't even know what you're warning me about."

"How's your hair?" Knives changed the subject.

Vash paused. "Well it's not good."

Vash brought a hand up to his hand and pulled out a strand of black. 

__

That's right, Knives…it isn't good. It hasn't been in four years…

But what had made him think of this now?

Well, this chapter hadn't exactly gone to plan but I did like the Vash/Meryl parts in it. ^_^

Tell me what you think and as always, R&R!

BLD 


	18. Change Of Heart

Disclaimer: For the love of Wolfwood, is this really necessary every chapter? I don't own Trigun. PERIOD. Rolls eyes

A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates, everyone. School just started back for me (How fun) so that's been taking up a lot of time. Hopefully things will get easier after the first couple of weeks. ^_^

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Seventeen

Change Of Heart

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"Hello darkness my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seed while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence…"

-Simon and Garfunkel ( Lyrics from The Sound of Silence)

****

Vash sat in the other room of the cathedral, anticipating the results on his friend. He removed his black cloak and set it beside him. Resting his hands in his lap, he lowered his head.

__

"Are you coming back?"

"Why Vash? Are you scared of being alone?"

"Knives…" He whispered. "Where are you? Why are you doing this?"

"Hello," Vash looked up and Demonte seated himself next to Vash. "How are you feeling?"

"You seem awfully cheery today," Vash said suspiciously. "What's up?"

Vash was unable to see Demonte's expression under his hood, which he kept on his head constantly.

"Cheery?" Demonte asked. "When am I ever cheery?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking."

Demonte turned his head. "I don't know. Maybe I'm changing." He chuckled softly.

"Changing?" Vash rose an eyebrow. "Okay now you're scaring me. Who are you and what have you done with Demonte?"

"Huh?" Demonte glanced back at Vash. "What are you talking about?"

"You're way too talkative. And you never initiate conversations. Not that that's a bad thing, but I was just wondering what has you elated today?"

"I don't know. I was doing some thinking and…" Demonte shook his head. "Nevermind. So, how's Jessica?"

"So far, so good. Doc says that she should be up and about here in the next few hours. That should give us plenty of time to round things up and get to Roklen."

"You've already explained everything to Doc?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. I told him about the bandits over by the ruins and our mission to get to Roklen so we can stop my megalomaniac brother."

"Hmmm…" Demonte smiled. Then a sudden guilt overtook him. "Vash…about your brother…I…"

__

"Actually," Demonte said, leaning down to pick up something that Celestia couldn't see. "It should be me thanking you."

Celestia was taken aback at his words. "Oh…um…you're welcome."

"Yeah?" Vash asked.

__

"So…why did you put yourself in danger for me?" Demonte asked suddenly.

"Why?" Celestia looked surprised. "Well, DUH, Dem, you're my friend." Demonte grew puzzled. "What? Are you telling me that you've never had anyone risk their life for you before?"

"On the contrary, no."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," He said as they walked down the mountain path.

"Well…" She tilted her head. "You're supposed to do that."

"Do what?"

"Protect the people you care about. When your friends are in trouble, you should do whatever you can to protect them…even if it means giving up your own life as well…That's the true meaning of strength, I believe."

"Protecting? So you were…protecting me?"

"Demonte, you're always an emotionless guy. And now I see why. Don't you know how to love or how to express yourself?"

"Well…"

"We're all friends, Dem, and we all have to stick together."

"All I remember in my childhood was agonizing pain and suffering. There wasn't anything such as love…only hatred."

"Demonte…the past is the past. If you live in the past, you'll never learn. Vash, Meryl, Milly, BDN, me…we all care about you…"

"Friendship…"

"With friendship comes trust. Whatever you do, you must always protect them and stop their hurt. Never hurt your friends, Demonte, never betray them."

'Betrayal…

Perhaps that is why I want to tell him.

Friendship…

Perhaps that is why I saved Meryl.'

"Demonte?" Vash asked. "Don't zone out on me, what did you want to say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Demonte said. "Well…I wanted to say…"

"Vash!" Another voice interrupted and the two glanced up.

Vash's view was suddenly blurred as he was tackled by a bundle of blue. "Vash!" The voice repeated. "I missed you! I can't believe you're alive…"

Vash gently pushed the girl back to look at her softly. "Jessica…you're better now I take it?"

Jessica nodded and reached for another hug. "Vash you moron…Why did you leave?"

"First you say that you're happy to see me, and now you're calling me names," Vash chuckled.

"You KNOW what I mean," She rolled her eyes as she sat on his lap. "Where were you?" She straightened her dress; the same one Vash had remembered her wearing the day of Brad's death. He cringed at the memory.

"I had some business I had to take care of," He said.

"And what happened to your hair!?" She fingered the dark strands. "It's turning black."

"Oh, that," Vash shrugged.

"Is it because you're a plant?"

"Sort of."

Jessica saw that she could not pry further because of Vash's vague answers and she found her reason not to ask anymore.

"That was a quick recovery, Doc," Vash turned to the old man as he entered the room. "I thought that you said that it would take hours for her to recover."

"Yes, I was quite amazed myself at how fast the recovery was. I suppose that it's because she has such a strong will." Doc smiled. "Isn't that right, Jessica?"

"That's right!" Jessica squealed as she clung to Vash.

From around the corner, Meryl watched with animosity at the two. She clenched her fist. How dare that little…!

Of course Meryl knew her, never liked her, and now…

"Grrr! This just makes me sick to watch!"

"Eavesdropping? That's not very ladylike."

Meryl snapped back into reality and whirled around to meet the eyes of Demonte. "What…? How…? You were just in there!"

"I slipped out," Demonte said, pulling her back into the opposite room of where Doc and the others were. "I knew I could sense unhappy vibes around here." Demonte smiled. "You wouldn't be jealous now, would you?"

"Jealous!? Me!? HA! I WOULDN'T BE JEALOUS OF THAT—"

"They're going to hear you." Demonte said, clamping his hand over her mouth. "I'm certain that you wouldn't want that…"

"Shut up!" Meryl said, throwing his hand away. "It's not like that at all!"

Demonte only laughed and shook his head. "Damn you're a stubborn one. I know that you and Vash have had a long history of run-ins with each other, but…"

"Are you implying that I actually LIKE that moron!?"

"Well, LIKE wasn't exactly the word I was looking for…"

With that remark, Meryl's face darkened and Demonte braced himself for the next explosion of words.

"LOVE!? YOU'RE SAYING THAT I 'LOVE'—"

"What seems to be the ruckus in here!?" Doc rushed into the room with Vash and Jessica behind him. "Henai!" He said sternly, his eyebrows furrowing.

Meryl lowered her head. "I'm sorry Keahnu. I shall take my leave now…" Meryl turned and shuffled out of the room and Doc sighed.

"This is supposed to be a holy sanctuary. We can't have her shooting off her mouth like that." Glancing up, Doc's eyes rested upon Demonte. "Just what were you two talking about anyway?"

"Nothing," Demonte quickly said. "Nothing at all. If you don't mind, I think that I shall take my leave as well."

"Wait Demonte," Doc said, stopping him with his hand. "First we must decide our next plan. I have heard about your reasoning to go to Roklen and I suggest that now is a good time to rethink your strategy on how you are going to approach the matter."

"What?" Demonte asked.

"Who will accompany you? What means of transportation do you intend to use? Food? Supplies?"

"Well, I hadn't actually thought of that. I usually just let the wind carry me, if you know what I mean."

"That's not the way things work around here, kid." BDN descended the stairs and nodded towards the Doc. "Doc's right. You were the only one who heard exactly what those ruffians said that night, so you should be the one to make the decisions."

"Um…I…" Demonte glanced up at the hefty man. "Who plans on staying behind?"

"Well," Doc rubbed his chin. "I know that Ingway will be staying in Mordeh with us for a fact, but everyone else should be positioned to join you."

"I'm definitely going," BDN spoke, "I can't leave this kid to do everything for himself. And I'm sure that Meryl and her friend, Milly, are coming."

"And I'm coming," Vash interrupted. "And Celestia is sure to tag along."

"Yeah, I had no doubt of that…" Demonte muttered.

"I'm coming too!" Jessica imposed as she looked at Vash with determined eyes. "I'm not going to leave Vash alone."

"But, Jessica," Doc protested, "You've only just recovered and what if you get injured or—"

"Relax Doc," Demonte said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll take care of her." 

"Well…all right…" Doc said, defeated.

"Excellent. Then when should we get going?" Demonte asked.

"Keahnu," Algernon entered the room. "Azayla has arrived with the others."

"Wonderful!" Doc clapped his hands together. "Surely they'll know what to do…"

"About what, Doctor?" Demonte glanced up to see a familiar face—the woman from Sanction.

"Miss Stefany!" Doc exclaimed as he motioned them to come closer. Vash was surprised to recognize all three of the guests.

"I know you…" He pointed to Stefany. "And you…" He slowly directed his finger to a woman with silky green hair and then turned to a man with black hair. "And you too."

"Vash, you know Miss Elizabeth and Miss Stefany?"

"And Mister Badwick," Stefany stepped forward. "He is the newcomer, Doctor."

"The one that you spoke of?"

"Indeed."

"Spoke of?" Demonte asked, diverting his attention back and forth between Stefany and Doc. "Just what is going on here? First you confuse me with your war gibberish and now you're confusing me with this idle talk of newcomers."

"And who is this loud mouthed individual with apparently no manners?" Elizabeth advanced towards Demonte, her high heels clicking against the marble of the floor. "Obviously an untrustworthy man due to his lack of respect. He can't even lower his hood to beautiful women."

"Hey!" Demonte leaned forward, ready to strike this woman.

"Okay, enough of that!" Vash stepped in between them. He turned his head to Elizabeth. His eyes narrowed upon her delicate face. "I remember you from the plant emergency back in Inepril, am I right?"

There was a pause between the two as Elizabeth struggled to regain her bearings.

"Vash the Stampede?" Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror, as she perceived the man in front of her to be the same man she had met almost seven years ago in Inepril. The man who had turned her hometown into rubble. "You lying bastard…" Her eyes narrowed.

"It's no lie, Azayla," Doc said as he turned to Stefany and Badwick, their reactions mimicking Elizabeth's. "Honest, it's the solemn truth."

"How can you say that!?" Elizabeth shouted as she pointed an accusing finger at Vash. "He died four years ago at the ruins! EVERYONE knows that!"

"Ruins?" Demonte asked. "How come I don't know about that?"

"Azayla, please calm yourself. I know that it sounds absurd…" The Doc was cut off.

"Might I add unrealistic," Stefany crossed her arms. "This man claims to be Vash the Stampede?"

"I know that the same man was involved with the deed to my parents' land," Badwick agreed. "But that was so long ago. Besides, if this was really Vash the Stampede…"

"It is…" A new voice echoed throughout the room. Everyone turned to Meryl, who had darkened the doorway. "I know this."

"Meryl!" Elizabeth began to protest. "How can you believe…"

_"Senchu, koraka eh tansu mie keeza!"_ Meryl screamed in a foreign tongue.

"Henai! Cease!" Doc bellowed. "Not another word from you!"

"What…?" Vash and Demonte asked in unison.

Elizabeth stared at Meryl, and simply nodded. "Very well, if you say so, Henai." She turned to Vash. "If you say that he is really the one."

"Then it's true?" Stefany asked as she glanced at Vash with hope shining in her eyes. "You are really…Vash the Stampede?"

Vash merely nodded.

"That's unbelievable…" Badwick said breathlessly.

"It's the truth," Doc said. "Whether you believe it or not. Now," Doc diverted his attention to Elizabeth. "There is great evil afoot. You must listen to what we have to say."

"If you desire us to so." Stefany said. "What might you have to tell us?"

"We're going to Roklen," BDN said. "Seems that there's some baddies waiting for us to kick their asses."

"We were attacked at the Ruins of Enora Precipice by some familiar faces," Vash explained. "We have reason to believe that they're hiding out at Roklen."

"Roklen!?" Stefany suddenly became alarmed. "But that's…"

"We know," Doc interrupted. "Civilians will be injured. We must prevent this from occurring."

"How?" Badwick asked.

"We're going," Demonte stepped in and pointed to himself. "We'll stop them."

"My brother is behind this," Vash said and Demonte grimaced. Guilt overtook him even more than ever. "That's why it's so important that he's stopped."

"Brother?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't worry about the small details." Doc said. "I'll explain later. But as a precaution, I have built devices that will allow us to communicate with one another from different cities. They are being installed as we speak."

"And where exactly are they being installed?" Stefany inquired.

"Our sister cities of course."

"Sanction and Mahogany?" Stefany pried.

"Yes them too. They require the use of lost technology to operate, such as radio waves and plasma screens." Doc said and he turned to Elizabeth. "It will be your duty to designate orders and to assign people to operate the transmission devices."

"Yes, of course." Elizabeth bowed her head. "Then do you require the three of us to stay here in Mordeh for the time being?"

"Absolutely," Meryl said. "It's going to be very dangerous and you would just get in the way since you have no experience with guns." Meryl pursed her lips together. "And besides…you know the drill."

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of that." Elizabeth turned back to Stefany. "You heard her. We must assist them in any way possible. Doctor…" Elizabeth turned her head slightly. "'We shall be waiting upstairs."

"Your Holiness," Stefany motioned the Head Priest closer. "Will you escort us to our rooms, please?"

"Absolutely, Madam," Algernon smiled and gestured the trio to follow after him.

Doc waited until the three were gone to continue. He turned to Vash. "You must round everyone up to leave now. We haven't much time and you must hurry to Roklen."

"How many more iles is it away from here, Doc?" Jessica spoke up.

"Almost 2,000," Doc answered plainly.

"But we'll never make it in time!" Jessica cried. "If what you say is true, then we only have two and a half weeks until whatever those men are planning on doing is going to happen!"

"Calm down," Demonte said, rolling his eyes. "We'll make it on time, don't worry." He glued his eyes on Doc. "Just as Doc said, we have to leave now…while it's still early."

"I'm all for it," BDN sneered. "I enjoy a good adventure."

"Then I will go and find Milly and Celestia." Meryl offered. "Doc, tell Ingway to stay out of trouble and that we will meet again soon."

"Meryl, it is more you that I am concerned with about staying out of trouble."

Meryl flushed and hurried from the room. Doc shook his head and sighed.

"That girl. She means well, but she's too hot-tempered. If only she would stop to think once in a while…"

"Yeah, I agree," Vash said.

"Don't worry Vash," Jessica clung to Vash's arm. "I'll help you keep things in order. I'll stay by your side."

Vash smiled as he looked down at Jessica. "It's hard to believe that it's been four years, right Jess? You still look as cute as ever."

From somewhere in Demonte's mind, he thought that he could feel a pain in his heart. But it wasn't his feelings…so whose were they?

Everyone gathered outside of the cathedral, and Doc waved the party off. "Ingway and the others would love to see you off, but at the moment they are in my personal laboratory installing the transmission devices."

"Don't worry, Doc," Celestia giggled. "We'll be sure not to take it personally."

The Doc smiled softly and nodded. "Hmmm…"

"Remember we're heading east." Demonte reminded his team.

"What's the next town that we will be arriving at?" Jessica asked.

"Senica should be a few iles from here," Meryl said. "From there, we should be able to hitch a ride to the next town…"

"IF we're lucky," BDN remarked. "You know that transportation by automobiles isn't as popular as it used to be, Meryl."

"I'm aware of that," Meryl gritted her teeth. "But it never hurts to try…unless YOU have a better way of getting to Roklen."

BDN shrugged.

"That's better," Meryl said and headed for the town's exit. "Now let's get going. It's almost noon."

"Really? You can't tell with all this fog." Milly said. "Gee Meryl, I sure do miss those blue skies."

"Now is not the time to be thinking of old times, Milly." Meryl said. "Let's just get to Roklen as soon as possible."

Meryl watched out of the corner of her eye as Jessica latched herself to Vash's arm. She struggled to keep her temper, and try as she might, she couldn't help but let out a few stifled growls from time to time.

Demonte soon began to notice this and slowed his pace down, expanding the space between Meryl and himself.

"She's just irked about that new girl," Celestia whispered. "That's all."

"Yeah, I figured that much," Demonte agreed. "And I think I know why too."

Celestia smiled. "It's pretty funny, actually. Mr. Vash is a lucky man to have so many women falling for him."

"Really?" Demonte turned to her. "You think that Meryl has feelings for Vash?"

"Demonte," Celestia sighed and patted Demonte's shoulder. "If you were a girl like me, you'd be able to tell that much right away…and that's withOUT psychic powers."

"Hmmm," Demonte turned his attention back to the angered Meryl. "That's what humans do when they're jealous? They act all jittery like that?"

"Demonte?" Celestia's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that you've never been in love before!?"

"Well…" Demonte closed his eyes. "Maybe once…a long time ago. But that might have only been love…not really IN love, as you put it."

Celestia looked at him, almost sadly. "You've missed out on so much, Dem. I really feel for you."

"Are you pitying me?"

"No, of course not," Celestia said hastily. "I didn't mean it that way…"

Demonte stared at her blankly, as though he were trying to find something within her that couldn't be seen by the naked eye. Just what was it that made this girl so kind, so compassionate, so…

"Dem? What's the matter?"

Demonte was snapped back into reality. "Oh," He replied. "Nothing." 

Lol I've never liked Jessica. I'm sorry but I just never have. But I DID like the scene where she turns Brad down. …All right I'll have SOME compassion for the dead, but he was an ass up until he sacrificed his life for Vash. Am I right? Anyway, Hunting will be posted up soon (For those of you who have read both stories) etc, etc…

BLD


	19. Trouble In Senica

Disclaimer: …The letter 3. ^_^ Three can be a letter in my world. Where I don't own Trigun. Sadly.

A/N: Yes, I am well aware that my updates are becoming few and far between. I have a statement in my defense…well, two actually. I've been sick with some sort of unknown thing (Oh yes, please let it be fatal grin), and school. Aside from everything else, yeah, I'm busy and sick. Lol That's pretty much it. Hopefully I can get some time off next week though.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Eighteen

****

Trouble In Senica

__

What a wicked game to play to make me feel this way   


What a wicked thing to do to make me dream of you   


What a wicked thing to say you never felt this way   


What a wicked thing to do to make me dream of you   


No, I don't wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart)   


No, I don't wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart)   


With you   


-Chris Isaac (Lyrics from Wicked Game)

****

__

"I control you…OWN you…" Demonte attempted to blot out the voice in his head. _"You are a fool to try and resist me."_

He turned over in his bed, his hood falling from his head. Closing his eyes, he exhaled and sat up, his bangs falling into his eyes. "Shut up," He muttered to himself. "I don't want to hear this anymore."

He turned his eyes to the lone room around him. How long had he been asleep?

"Everyone's up already?" He asked as he pulled the hood of the cloak back over his head. Exiting the room of the inn, he stepped out into the hall.

"Morning sleepyhead…" Celestia yawned and stretched. Demonte turned as she waved at him. "Breakfast is ready at the front."

"Where's everyone else?"

Celestia straightened her dress and pushed a strand of blonde hair from her eyes. "They're already there, silly. Come on, you must be starving. BDN is working up a negotiation with the Mayor of this town to use his private sand steamer to cross over to Roklen."

"How's it going?" Demonte asked as she led him to the back rooms of the inn.

"Not very well if you ask me. I think we'll be hitchhiking to Roklen. He says that he's gonna try again in a little while."

"Hey look who's up!" Vash smiled as he took a bite of his eggs. "Usually you're the early bird."

"What's all this?" Demonte gestured to the food.

"Oh, the Innkeeper gave us a present." Vash swallowed his food. "Come on, eat up. It's not every day that we get to eat a feast like this. Ever since the Dark Ages started, almost all the water has dried up. Luxuries like these aren't easy to come by." He was waving his fork around like a dictator.

"I find it odd that the Innkeeper would want to waste his valuable water and food on passing travelers then," Demonte responded warily.

"Who cares?" BDN laughed. "We're eating so let's just enjoy it."

Demonte looked around the table. Jessica and Milly were enjoying their meal so much that they hadn't even acknowledged Demonte's presence. Even Celestia had immediately sat down to her breakfast.

But to Demonte's surprise, Meryl hadn't so much as touched her food. "Meryl, you don't seem as eager about all of this."

"Hmmm?" Meryl glanced up. "Oh, I'm just not very hungry this morning. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Then can I have your breakfast?" BDN grinned as he began to slide her plate over to him.

"Whatever, I don't care," She said with indifference. "I'm going to get a head start with the whereabouts of the sand steamer. If it works, then I'll talk to the Mayor."

"Hey," BDN shook his fork at her. "That's my job."

"Well you're eating," She stood up and pushed her chair in. "I'll take care of it. It's not like you had much of a negotiation planned anyway. And the first one certainly wasn't as successful."

"I did so have a good negotiation planned!" BDN said with a mouthful of sausage. "I was going to tell him that if he didn't hand over the sand steamer, I was going to break his arm."

"Ugh!" Came the disgusted responses from around the table.

"What?" BDN shrugged. "And the only reason that the first negotiation didn't go as well was because I hadn't prepared myself. I'll be okay now."

"Prepared yourself with WHAT I wonder?" Demonte rolled his eyes. "I'm dealing with a moron here."

Meryl brushed past Demonte and wandered out of the room.

"Hey Dem," BDN looked at him. "If you're not gonna eat, can I have your breakfast?"

"You already have two plates!" Demonte argued.

"Hey, there's starving people out there! Better that the food goes to me than them, right?"

"Mr. Neon!" Milly scoffed. "That's not nice at all!"

Demonte rolled his eyes for a second time and followed Meryl out of the room.

When he had caught up with the petite woman, she was already down the street.

"Hey how did you get down here so fast?" Demonte jogged after her.

"You weren't hungry either?" Meryl asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

"I think I lost my appetite," He replied. "I'll follow you to the sand steamer."

"Thanks, but I can handle the negotiation myself," She said.

"Yes Ma'am." Demonte said.

"Wow!" Meryl marveled at the sand steamer. "It's really in great condition…"

"But it's pretty small," Demonte noted.

"It's a private one. But I think that we all could fit."

"Without a doubt," Demonte glanced at Meryl. "So what now? Are you going to ask permission from the Mayor?"

"Of course," She said. "That's why we're here."

Demonte paused.

"We should probably leave the garage as soon as possible…" Demonte said, turning his head.

"Why?" Meryl asked.

"I just saw a shadow. I don't think we should be here." He began to walk to the front of the sand steamer garage. "Let's find the Mayor."

"Huh? Demonte?" Meryl rushed after him. "What's the matter?"

"I just have a bad feeling, that's all. So…" He diverted his attention to her. "Where does the Mayor live?"

"Just down the road," She jerked her thumb slightly left. "And around the corner. It's not too big of a place."

"You've been here before?"

"Of course. I've been everywhere." She almost smirked. "I would've expected the same from you."

"Yeah, well…almost everywhere for me…" He replied.

Meryl stopped in her tracks.

"What is it?" Demonte asked, alarmed.

"I thought I heard something," She said. A gust blew past the two and she abruptly grabbed his arm and took shelter behind a nearby building.

She turned her head minimally and peeked around the corner of the wall. Four shadows disappeared down the street, one of them carrying an unidentifiable girl in its arms.

"What do you see?" Demonte whispered.

"Something bad," Meryl reached for her holster. "We have to get back and find the others."

"That bad, huh?" Demonte loaded his revolver. "Damn, I was hoping for an uneventful day. I'm still exhausted from the mountain incident. But I knew I heard something. Guess I wasn't wrong after all."

"Sorry, thems the breaks." Meryl responded and hunched down low as she began to run quickly behind the back alley.

"Where are you going?" Demonte asked, following her.

"I'm taking the back way to the inn. It's not safe in the streets."

"I wonder who the hell those guys are anyway…"

"Don't ask me," She breathed. "But they don't look friendly. Stay on your toes."

"You don't have to tell me." He muttered as his right arm began to glow faintly.

The two dashed to the entrance of the inn and looked around.

"Where the hell is the Innkeeper?" Demonte asked. "Don't tell me that the spineless coward is hiding now."

"Forget the Innkeeper," Meryl said. "Let's just find the others."

They came to a screeching halt when they entered the dining room. The window had been left open with a sudden breeze mingling in the room. The plates were left just as they were, but no sign of their friends remained.

"Where is everyone?" Demonte asked as he stepped into the room, observing the half-eaten food. "Perhaps they realized that something was wrong too?"

"No…the vibes seem too thick for that." Meryl turned. "It's like they all vanished into thin air."

"You're telling me," Demonte's eyes stopped at the open window. "That window wasn't open when we left. And it's too cold to leave it open. So just what the heck is going on around here?"

"Hmmm…the Innkeeper is gone and so is everyone else…" Meryl rubbed her chin. "Maybe it has something to do with those shadows I saw in the street…"

"Say what?" Demonte asked, turning around.

"When I pulled you behind the building, I saw these shadows roaming in the streets. One of them was carrying a girl, but I couldn't see."

"Oh, just spectacular!" Demonte sighed and pounded the table. "So in other words, everyone has been kidnapped…right? Boy, glad to know that I was right when I got those bad vibes back at the garage."

"I didn't say that at all…" Meryl said. "You're right, they could have seen the same shadows and followed after them."

"And maybe they didn't."

"All I'm saying is that both possibilities can ring true."

"Well it doesn't matter now," Demonte said. "I just want to find out what the heck is going on here."

"And so do I." Meryl said.

A large crash broke out in the front room.

Meryl took shelter behind the door and Demonte ducked behind the table.

Demonte listened as a large body thundered down the stairs and was followed by running footsteps, which led out into the street. When silence filled the air once more, Demonte rose and Meryl crept out from behind the door.

"Great…" Demonte licked his lips.

"Come on," Meryl motioned him to follow.

At the bottom of the stairs lay BDN in a puddle of blood. Demonte traced his eyes up the stairs where blood had tainted the carpet all the way up.

"Brilliant!" Meryl cried as she kneeled beside him. "Are you hurt!? Are you okay!?"

"He's been knocked out…" Demonte said. "But he's wounded. See if you can find out where he's bleeding."

Meryl tilted his head forward and watched as the rich color mattered his hair and leather trench coat. "He was hit with something…" Meryl speculated. "It's not a bullet wound, thank God."

"Wait," Demonte said. "BDN is too big of a guy to take down with just a club or something, especially if the others were around. So…" He tapped his foot against the oak floor. "He had to have been knocked out before then."

"With what?"

"Perhaps a drug."

"Then what?" Meryl asked. "They CARRIED him up the stairs?"

"No…" Demonte closed his eyes, trying to envision what might have happened. "Like I said before, he's a big guy. Perhaps after he had finished eating…he went up the stairs and was met with his attacker. After he was hit, BDN turned, ready to strike his opponent." Demonte rushed up the stairs.

"Demonte, what are you talking about?"

Demonte looked down and nodded. "Yes, see here…I can see splinters from a wooden club most likely. His attacker was hidden here…" Demonte pointed to a large potted plant. "…and jumped out to hit him here…" Demonte turned and pointed to the pile of splinters. "When that didn't work, BDN leaned forward to attack his striker. I think that the drugs kicked in just then and he fell down the stairs." Demonte descended the stairs. "That's when we came in."

"Demonte what kind of theory is that!?"

"Do you have any other ones?"

"Yes." Meryl replied. "He couldn't have been hit coming up the stairs because we would've seen it. We came in and found everyone gone. Shortly afterwards is when we heard the crash. Therefore, he had to have already gone to his room and was attacked as he came out."

_'True'_, Demonte thought. _'Very true.'_

"Maybe."

"Then what do you think that he was drugged with?" Meryl asked.

Demonte's eyes widened as he paused and then looked at Meryl very seriously. "The food."

"What?"

"The food!" Demonte began to pace back and forth. "Yes of course the food! That explains everything!"

"What!? What!?" Meryl screeched. "You're not making any sense Demonte!"

"That's why the Innkeeper gave us that food…He wanted to mug us or he was working with those shadowed guys or whatever, but it doesn't matter because now we know that he's against us! I knew it was too suspicious to begin with."

Meryl looked at him, puzzled.

"Don't you see Meryl?" Demonte turned. "That food was a trick. It was really full of sleeping powder and BDN was affected by it ten times more because he had three helpings of it."

"I'm starting to see what you're talking about…" Meryl nodded. "But let's just find the others and get the truth out of the Innkeeper." Meryl glanced down. "But we can't just leave him like this, he'll bleed to death."

"I'll take care of the bleeding," Demonte said. "Then we'll take him into the dining room and hide him."

Meryl stepped out of the way as Demonte kneeled by BDN's side. Closing his eyes he held his hand up to the back of the hefty man's head and a white light began to illuminate the room.

"That light…" Meryl said. "It's the one you used back in Felnarl on Celestia."

"Yeah," Demonte muttered as BDN's skin began to stitch back together. When the light dimmed, he motioned Meryl closer. "Let's get him into the dining room." He reached for BDN's underarms as Meryl pulled on his legs.

The two grunted and their arms tightened as they lifted the massive body from the ground.

"D-Damn…" Demonte gritted. "How much does he weigh!?"

"Don't ask me…" Meryl replied. "TOO much."

Demonte shuffled until his back met the door and he sidestepped in. Meryl, arms tensed, followed in Demonte's movements like a dance pattern.

They finally settled the man by the table and Demonte closed the window. "Let's close the door and get out of here." He said.

"Wait, what if the others are upstairs?" Meryl asked?

"You go check then. I'll stand guard here." He instructed and Meryl nodded. "Call if you need any help." He added.

"I will." She turned and ran up the stairs.

Demonte turned to look back at BDN as he exited the room and waited at the front.

_'Just what the hell am I doing?'_ Demonte asked himself. _'I'm helping these guys. I never help anyone.'_ Then he remembered the night he met Celestia. _'Nah, those guys were in my way. That's the only reason I helped her.' _He assured himself as he glanced at the sky. Foggy…as usual.

"I just don't get it…" He said, sighing. "What is the right thing? I don't want to go to Roklen and endanger them…but it's my job." His eyes narrowed. "Am I…changing?"

_"Demonte, you should always help others in pain. My boy, in order to be loved, you have to have loved yourself. Always give, Demonte, always give."_

Demonte's eyes widened. "Where did that come from?" He asked, grasping the sides of his head. That definitely wasn't mother, nor father…

Demonte brought a hand up to his face, running it along his eyes, nose and mouth. This face…this face as it was as a child…

"It couldn't have been me…" He whispered. "The child…"

"Demonte…" Meryl hurried down the doors and to the front door. "There's no one else. They must be somewhere in town."

Demonte nodded. "Right."

Meryl brushed past him. "Where do you think that we should start?" She asked, stepping into the street.

"In which direction did those shadows go off to?" Demonte inquired.

"Towards the garage," Meryl answered.

"Then let's get over there."

"Shouldn't we inform the Mayor of this?"

"No," Demonte said, "They aren't after the civilians. Whatever they wanted, our comrades seemed to have it. Besides, the civilians will be okay if they stay inside their homes—which seems to be what they do all the time anyway."

"All right," Meryl agreed. "Then let's get to the garage."

"Do you see anything?" Meryl whispered as Demonte poked his head around the corner of the garage.

"Nada," He replied. "Let's split up and look around." He had already begun to walk around the building as he finished his sentence.

"All right," He heard her murmur.

Demonte looked up towards the roof of the building. He squinted his eyes against the fog, but found nothing. Tilting his head back to the ground, the wind began to stir him. Jerking his body around, Demonte glanced back out into the street.

"Demonte!" He heard Meryl call out.

"What?" He responded.

"Come here! Hurry!"

"What is it?" He asked, jogging around the side of the building and into the garage.

Meryl gestured to a bookshelf…and then the secret passage next to it.

"What the hell?" Demonte wandered closer to the opening. "Where did you find this?"

"I just began to turn over everything and I ran into this. I don't know what made me decide to check behind this, but I think that I may have seen enough movies to get this kind of idea."

"Hmmm," Demonte chuckled. "Good going, Meryl. Now let's follow it and see where it leads." Demonte stepped forward and began to descend the stairs.

"Hey," Meryl whispered following close behind. Demonte could feel her breath on his neck, even through the fabric of the cloak. "Didn't you say earlier that you saw a shadow come into the garage and quickly leave?"

"Yeah, remember? That's when I told you that we should've left the first time."

"Well then, perhaps we're going the right way after all."

Demonte only nodded, and jumped the last step to the bottom. "It looks like the inside of a mine." He commented, absorbing his surroundings.

Small dainty lamps hung loosely from the stone walls, which had been coated with dull marooned colored bricks. The halls seemed endless as they branched off into other corridors and resulted in darkness.

"Well," Demonte said, continuing forward. "Guess we'll have to flip a coin."

"Why?"

"Which route do you want to take?"

Meryl glanced at the fork in the road. Left? Or right?

"Do you want to split up?" She turned her head and Demonte nodded.

"Only if you want to," He replied. "I don't want you to get into any trouble."

"Puh-leeeze," Meryl rolled her eyes as she twirled her gun around her index finger. "I can't be killed THAT easily."

"All right, then," Demonte said, taking the left path. "Good luck."

Meryl watched his retreating form disappear into the darkness and she shivered as she advanced down the right path. "Yeah," She muttered. "You too."

Meryl began to jog faster down the corridor, her heels clicking against the rocky surface. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew her black glasses and slipped them over her eyes. A fork in the road was approaching.

She stopped.

Voices lingered in the air. Some soft, and others loud. And then they became muffled. Meryl huddled up against the rocky wall and held her gun close to her chest as she waited patiently for a pinpoint to the voices.

Much to her surprise, the voices began to increase in volume and she knew that she soon would be found out had she chosen to continue to stay in that corridor much longer. Sprinting in the opposite direction of the voices, Meryl turned right, cutting a corner, and continued in a U shaped path, twisting and turning until she stopped at a threshold, the steel old and rusty.

Looking back, she slipped through the door and into the room. Sighing heavily, she slowly turned around and found herself in a hallway of jail cells. Curiosity getting the best of her, Meryl padded down the hallway, diverting her attention back and forth from each cell.

She halted. A silhouette sat, almost invisible, in the corner of the middle jail cell.

"…H-Hello?" She called out, hesitantly. "I-Is anybody in there?"

Meryl cocked her gun and aimed it slowly at the figure.

The shadow jolted.

Startled, Meryl dropped the gun and it bounced through the bars and landed on the cold floor inside the cell.

"Damn," Meryl bit her lip. "Excuse me," Meryl grasped the bars. "Can you hear me?" Silence. "They must be asleep," Meryl shrugged and leaned down and slid her arm through the cell, groping for her gun. She grunted. "Just a little…further…." She dropped onto her belly and scooted closer to the bars. Straining her arm even farther out, Meryl closed her eyes and pushed her fingertips over the floor's surface.

Then the handle of the gun came within her reach. She grinned. "Aha! I got!" She edged the gun towards her until it was finally in her reach.

Then the silhouette in the corner lurched across the cell and seized Meryl's arm, swatting the gun away.

"What!?" Meryl cried, and attempted to jerk her arm back.

But the shadow was strong, and yanked her forward. Meryl's face collided with the bars and she grunted. Dazed, Meryl tried to wriggle free again, only to be met with the same results.

"Dammit!" She screamed, feeling the blood flow down her face. "Let me go!"

Then two arms reached around her waist and pulled her backwards. Once her arm was free, she attempted to flee her second attacker, only to be spun around and held up against the wall. The man held his face from hers only by a few inches and Meryl closed her eyes.

Death would perceive her shortly.

Oh pooh. Where's Vash when you need him? Lol I forgot a character from the last chapter, Elizabeth and since I'm sick and lazy right now, I'll just put her in as such and fix it when I update on my site. Or e-mail me. That always works too.

Elizabeth: Appears in episode six--Lost July as the woman who wants to kill Vash for destroying her hometown, July, twenty-three years ago.

And…yeah. Hope you liked the chapter. Now with that, I'm going off to be sick some more. If you're feeling generous, please R&R (nicely please) and ask questions, and all that other glorious stuff. 

BLD

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	20. Armed In Darkness

  
**Engel: Sacrifice**   


****

Armed In Darkness   


****

Chapter Nineteen

__

"Grave memorial hewn white stone  
Like the comforting caress of a mother  
Or a friend you've always known  
  
It evokes such pain and significance  
What was once is reduced to remembrance

And the generations pass without recompense  
What pretension! Everlasting peace  
Everything must cease"

-Bad Religion (Lyrics from Cease)

Demonte twisted the corner and kneeled down as two shadows passed before him. 

__

'Damn', he thought to himself,_ 'that was a close one.'_ Holding his gun in his right arm, Demonte waited until the shadows were long down the hall before he sprinted off into the left fork. Breathing heavily, he lurched forward and slipped into another corner just as two more of the same shadows passed down the same hall. 

"Geez," He growled. "Why are there so many friggin' guards? You'd think they'd be wasting their precious time terrorizing people like my men do. Not hanging out and having a party back at HQ." He brought his gun up to his face. "Guess that there will have to be some bloodshed if I ever want to get around this place." 

Demonte hunched over and crept down the hall until a pair of voices halted him in his tracks. 

"I told you before that I was going to pay you back, you jerks!" A female voice…almost familiar. 

"And I told you to pay up NOW!" A middle-aged man's voice this time. Demonte pressed his ear to the door, biting his lip. 

"You didn't have to press the assault in December…" Ah, this was Celestia's voice! 

"You murdered twenty of my men." 

"I didn't do it!" Celestia roared. "I never killed any of them!" 

"Then who the hell did it!?" Demonte's ears caught a quick slap to the psychic's face. "You're a little lying bitch, aren't you!?" 

Demonte growled as he began to sense quiet sobs. He turned the doorknob and rushed in, holding his gun up in defense. "Hey!" Demonte's eyes darkened beneath his hood. "Just what the hell is going on here!?" 

Ten shadows froze as they gazed upon Demonte, his eyes glistening with hatred. Celestia kept her tear-stained face lowered as she sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room. 

"Who are you!?" The speculated Boss of the posse stepped forward, reaching for his own gun. 

"Don't be a fool Boss!" A subordinate beckoned his Boss to stop. "He looks dangerous." 

"Tend to your own business," The Boss snapped. "He's no match for me." The Boss stood tall above Demonte and, straightening his back, folded his arms over his chest and asked, "Are you playing the hero, kid?" 

"Where are the captives?" Demonte hissed, locking his finger on the trigger. 

"Around," The man chuckled and licked his lips. "What's it to you?" 

"Those just happen to be my companions," Demonte growled. "Now either you hand them over or I'll be forced to make you suffer the consequences." 

"You're bluffing." The Boss huffed. 

Demonte snapped his arm over his shoulder and pulled the trigger, the barrel facing away from the posse. A body thumped in the doorway. 

"Pretty sneaky, getting your men to creep up from behind." Demonte spun the gun around his index finger and then hooked the rest of his fingers around the butt of the gun, aiming it at the Boss's forehead. "Now, I'm warmed up." 

"Bastard," The Boss swung his own gun upwards and a flash stung his eyes as well as his fingers. 

Smoke lingered at the barrel of Demonte's gun as the Boss crumpled to the ground, clutching his distorted fingers. Steel clunked to the ground in front of the Boss. It was his pistol. The Boss reached down to pick up his severed index finger and half of the other few fingers that had once held his pistol. Blood crept down his hand like a fountain and trickled onto the floor. His mind had shut down, leaving him dumbfounded and he gazed in horror at his hand, finally realizing what he had been picking up from the floor. 

"YOU BASTARD! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY HAND!" The Boss wailed. Demonte showed no mercy as he held his aim at the Boss's skull. 

"Where…are…the captives?" Demonte repeated. "Tell me and I might spare your life." 

"Asshole," The Boss growled. "You may kill me and the rest of them, but you'll never escape 'him'." 

Demonte remained nonchalant. "Then have it your way." Demonte pulled the trigger and the man was hurled backwards and landed in the back of the room. Demonte trailed the blood that led back to the Boss's stiff, cold body. 

In defense to Demonte's attack, the other men withdrew their own guns, some were rifles, and others were shotguns. 

"You killed the Boss," A henchman hissed. "Now it's your turn," The man stalked up and jerked back hard on Celestia's hair. She screamed as he held the barrel to her head. "Starting with this woman, should we say…?" 

Demonte's eyes widened in horror as he immediately brought his aim up to the henchman. 

"Are you stupid!?" The henchman roared. "Put the gun down, NOW!" 

Demonte froze, and a moment later, the gun was dropped to the ground, clanking hard against the cement floor. Demonte held his arms behind his back. 

"That's better," The henchman breathed. Demonte's eyes drifted to the other men who had him pinpointed with their own guns. "But the Boss is dead. You must pay for this." 

Demonte's arm began to illuminate faintly. 

"You're making a big mistake," Demonte told the man. "I only killed your Boss because he would not consent to answer my questions." 

Electricity began to drift up Demonte's arm, cackling softly as it crawled slowly in both directions of his forearm. 

"You don't want to do this," Demonte warned. "If you let them go, and her," He gestured to Celestia. "I won't be forced to hurt you." 

"Hurt ME!?" The man guffawed, his belly rumbling. "You're unarmed!" 

"That's not entirely true," Demonte clenched his glowing arm. "I'll not ask you again. Let them go." 

"Over my dead body," The henchman laughed as he tugged on the trigger. 

"You're a fool…" Demonte turned his body, exposing his radiating arm. "But that can be arranged." The henchman paused as he became dazzled by the power. 

Demonte held his arm, palm outstretched, towards the man and the room exploded into a brilliant amplitude of light. The henchman instantly disintegrated into cinder, his gun falling to the floor as it followed its owner's ashes. Demonte twisted his body and struck his shoulder forward, aiming his arm, like a gun, at the others that dared oppose him. A vortex of lightening swirled beneath the other henchmen and suffocated them within its embrace. 

They fell to the ground, their skeletons emerging through their seared flesh. The room fell silent and Demonte lowered his arm, the light dwindling away. Celestia's body quaked as she watched him approach her. Her breathing intensified as he finally rested an arm on her shoulder. 

"I appear to you as the Devil himself, don't I?" He said finally. "I scare you." 

She could say nothing, but her eyes remained fully on him. 

"My powers," Demonte began to unbind the ropes from Celestia. "They're unusual, I know. If I wanted to, I could liquidate this entire city." 

"But you won't," Celestia mumbled. 

Demonte paused and sighed softly. "That's right, I won't." 

The ropes slipped off of Celestia and Demonte stood up straight. "But I want you to know that I would never hurt you," He said. "I don't want you to be afraid of me." He caught sight of her swollen cheek where the Boss had dared to harm her. 

"I know you," She said touching his arm gently. "I'm not scared." 

Demonte opened his mouth to say more, but a thunderous crash shook the room and turned his attention to more important matters. 

"Damn, that must be what the Boss called 'him'!" Demonte spun on his foot. "What did those bastards want with you and the others anyway!?" 

"Those were the men from December," Celestia explained, shouting above the tremor. "They're after me for the debt, remember?" 

"I remember," Demonte shifted his weight to his back leg as he stooped low and retrieved his gun. "Where are the others?" 

"I don't know," Celestia whispered. Her face tilted towards the ground. "It's my fault, it was the food. They spiked the food and I knew I felt something wrong but I ignored it. The others got involved because of me. Everyone in this town is a part of the insurance agency." 

"No," Demonte turned and grabbed her arm. "It's not your fault. Everything will turn out okay, I promise." 

The quakes escalated and the two stumbled backwards. 

"We have to get out of here, now." Demonte muttered. 

"What about the others?" Celestia inquired. "We can't leave them behind." 

"Damn!" Demonte nearly smacked himself. "I forgot. We'll have to take care of the beast in that case." Demonte grabbed his companion's hand and rushed from the room, hauling Celestia behind him. 

Meryl gritted her teeth, squirming in the shadow's grasp. 

"Stop it!" The voice hissed. "It's me, Vash!" 

Meryl's body dropped at the name and she glanced up. "Vash?" She asked in disbelief. 

"Yeah," Vash turned his head and stared at the hostile monster within the cell. "We've got to get out of here," Vash pulled Meryl away from the wall. 

"Wait!" Meryl pulled backwards. "I'm not leaving my gun!" 

"Meryl, this is life or death now. Forget the gun." 

"I most CERTAINLY am NOT going to just FORGET the gun!" She bellowed and looked in the cell. "…I just need to come up with a plan on how to get it first." 

"Meryl you're a fool," Vash said plainly. "That beast will tear you apart in seconds." 

"Then give me your gun," Meryl ordered. 

"What!? No! I'm not going to stand here and let you take the innocent life of another!" 

"Innocent!? That damned thing nearly tore my arm off!" Meryl groped for Vash's colt. "Now give me the gun!" 

"No way!" Vash twisted his body and dodged her hands. "If we leave it alone, it'll leave us alone! We have more important issues to deal with than getting a stupid gun! I'd prefer to waste my bullets on something more important!" 

"Why you little…!" 

An unexpected tremor seized the room and shook it violently, throwing the two against separate jail cells. Meryl's head jerked backwards, plummeting against the steel. Her eyes became groggy and her head was dazed with confusion. She could hear the beast in the cell snarling behind her, but her mind couldn't seem to comprehend what actions she should take. 

"Meryl!" Vash scrambled to his feet, lunging for her as the monster's hands reached through the cell bars and around Meryl's neck, its long nails singeing her neck ever so lightly. Meryl's head tipped forward, almost drunken-like, as her eyes fluttered open and shut. 

Vash screeched to a halt and grasped the monster's wrist. Letting out a piercing cry, a third arm curved around Meryl's body and latched itself around Vash's esophagus. Startled, Vash dropped the monster's wrist and became occupied with prying the fingers from his neck. The nails were sharp, as though they could tear through flesh as though it were cotton. Vash's hand sought for his holster. 

Then a gunshot resounded in the hall and the hand slumped down Vash's chest and plopped into his lap. Almost immediately, Vash brushed the hideous thing away and pulled Meryl away from the cell. Glancing to the oncoming shadow above him, he recognized BDN. 

"I didn't mean to kill it, Vash," BDN already speculating what Vash would say to him. "But if I hadn't have shot it, he would've killed you both because we both know that YOU wouldn't have shot it." 

Vash turned back to the unmoving monster, blood seeping across the floor. 

"I'm not too fond of fact that you did kill it, Brilliant, but there's nothing I can do…" Vash lowered his head to Meryl. "For now." 

"Fancy me finding you two down here. All I had to do was follow those dastardly looking cult members to the sand steamer garage and POOF! There you guys are." 

"We need to find the others, Brilliant," Vash hoisted Meryl's unconscious body onto his back. "And quick. You felt the earthquake just now, right? I think that something big is headed our way." 

"Wait, is she gonna be all right?" BDN motioned to Meryl. 

"She hit her head against the cell door when the tremor hit. I'm certain that she'll come around in a few." 

"Just a bump on the head?" BDN asked. 

"Just a bump on the head." Vash nodded. "Do you have any idea where the others might be?" 

"Slam my head in a door if I did." BDN said. "I found myself passed out at the inn. Someone hit me over the head and then I went out like a lamp. You?" 

"I think that something was in our food." Vash said, retreating down the hall. "I found myself in a similar cell such as these, but I broke free using my trusty partner here…" Vash smiled as he gestured to his gun. 

"Well I'm impressed, Vash the Stampede. Now let's find the others and get the hell out of here." 

"Wait," Vash stopped and jogged back to the cell where the demon had once been held sojourn in. He stooped low and reached into the cell, grasping Meryl's gun. Turning, he smiled at the large man. "She would kill me if I left without her gun." 

"Crap, it just keeps getting closer!" Demonte hissed as he rounded a corner, pulling Celestia along behind him. The corridor began to vibrate with monumental strength. Demonte readied his gun, anticipating the monstrous beast. 

"Demonte you're not thinking about fighting that thing, are you!?" Celestia grasped his arms. "Don't you know what that thing is!?" 

"Not really, nor am I interested in finding out." 

"It's one of those dark beasts we fought in Felnarl! The Boss of this agency has managed to capture one of those beasts and has been holding it captive down here. I even saw it for myself." 

"What!?" Demonte sulked back against the cavern wall. "Fine time for telling me. Are you saying that those beasts from Felnarl are controlled by the agency?" 

"No, I don't know what went on in Felnarl," Celestia admitted. "But I do know that the agency has managed to get a hold of one of them. THAT thing is what's chasing us now." 

"Oh…GLORIOUS." Demonte reloaded his gun. "All the better for me to fight it." 

"Demonte you can't do that!" Celestia cried. "You would get yourself killed!" 

"And what am I supposed to do? Leave it to kill everyone else?" 

"There they are!" The two turned as a mob of henchmen moved through the corridor, guns held high. 

"Geez…Don't these guys ever give up!?" Demonte backed away, stopping at the intersection of a larger cavern. Bullets rained to the ground as Celestia and Demonte separated down different halls. 

Demonte spun on one heel as the mob poured into the large cavern, and pulled the trigger on his .44. Several men collapsed to ground as others began to face him, almost challengingly. 

"You're the monster who killed the Boss, aren't you!?" A man yelled as he aimed his rifle at Demonte. "I won't let you get away with this!" 

More than half of the other henchmen simultaneously mimicked the so-called 'leader's' movements as they aimed their own weapons at Demonte. The others stayed facing Celestia with their guns. 

"Stop!" Celestia cried, withdrawing her gun from her dress. 

"Stay out of this, Celestia," Demonte commanded. "Just run away." 

"No one is going anywhere," Another man responded, cocking his gun. "Your tombs will all be here." 

"Step aside and I won't be forced to hurt you," Demonte said, lowering his gun. "Your Boss only died because he could not assent to my demands. I'm giving you a chance; don't throw it away." 

"What makes you think that you have the advantage over us?" The so-called 'leader' sneered. "We have the monster with us…'him'…" 

"I'm not scared of anyone you bring against me," Demonte said confidently. 

"Arrogant, aren't we?" The leader grinned. "Well then, let the battle begin." 

The men from behind the leader pulled on their triggers and bullets exploded from the barrels. Celestia picked her feet up just as they landed, and almost danced around them. She rolled to the ground and brought her arm up which held the gun. 

She pulled the trigger back. The bullet struck a random man in the neck and blood gushed from his esophagus. He landed on the ground with a thud as the others commenced the shootings. 

On the other side of the gunfire, Demonte had ducked low and held his other arm over the gun as he pulled the trigger. Men beside the leader fell to their defeats and the leader became agitated even more so. 

"You think that you're good!? You're nothing." The leader's rifle exploded as continuous bullets streamed one after another. Demonte leaped high into the air, lurching forward, and crashed down upon the leader, swinging the butt of the gun through the air and making contact with the side of the leader's head. 

He crumpled to the ground as the rest of the men watched in incredulity as Demonte towered above them, holding his gun proudly. The gunfire ceased and Celestia watched as to see what would happen next. 

"I'm letting you off," Demonte said. "If you want to stay and fight, go ahead. But you see your dead comrades around you. This chance is not so easily given, but easily denied. Don't be a fool. Run…now." 

As though he were commanding robots, the men instantly retreated back through the hall in which they had came. Celestia blinked and stood straight. 

"I'm actually impressed Mr. Kalabis." 

"I surprised myself." Demonte said. "I usually don't give people like that any kind of mercy, as you already know." 

"Quite true," Celestia sighed and patted him on the back. "At least I can rest assured that the men won't try to ambush us again." 

Suddenly, the tremors became active once again. 

"I thought that you said that they wouldn't try to ambush us again!" Demonte shouted. 

"I said that the 'MEN' wouldn't try to ambush us again! I never said anything about the beast!" 

Demonte spun around as a shadow darkened the room. Piercing red eyes narrowed as the monster growled. 

"Is it just me or does that monster have two heads?" Celestia asked. 

"It looks just like a dragon from those legends…" Demonte remarked as he reloaded his gun. "But a two headed dark dragon is beyond me." 

"Okay!" Celestia grinned as she reloaded her own gun. "Let's get the show on the road." 

Demonte turned. 

"You're not thinking about fighting it are you? That's a man's job." 

"Excuse me!" Celestia held her hands on her hips. "You're being extremely sexist! Why don't you just give me a chance!?" 

The dragon advanced towards them, two long tongues hanging from the mouths of both heads. 

"Nevermind the arguing," Demonte said. "Fight if you want." 

Demonte locked his aim onto the dragon pulled the trigger. The bullets merely bounced off of the dragon's chest and Demonte stepped backwards. 

"No way," He breathed. "The damned thing is immune to our bullets." 

"Now what are you planning on doing?" Celestia asked, backing away from the dragon. 

"Hmmm…" Demonte's face lit up. "Celestia! Use your psychic abilities to get a reading on that dragon. I'll distract it!" 

"H-Hey!" Celestia called out to him. She sighed when she saw him dash forward. "He'll never learn." 

Demonte dodged the dragon's deadly swipe and rolled to the ground. The two heads leaned forward, crashing into the cavern walls, snarling and snapping their jaws. Demonte shielded himself from the falling rocks and looked up. 

A little…too late. 

The tail of the dragon collided with Demonte's front and he was hurled to the back of the cavern. Celestia shrieked, but knew that her post entitled her to stay put. She closed her eyes and peered into the dragon's mind. 

Demonte looked up, and spit out a mouthful of blood. His hood had fallen backwards, revealing his dangerous violet eyes. He brushed his hair from his face and leapt forward, gun in hand. He pulled the trigger, pounding four more bullets into the dragon. They bounced off carelessly and Demonte halted. 

"This isn't working," He muttered. "But I can't use Forbidden Magicks here." He grasped his injured arm. "I've used it once already. If I do it again, it will drain the life out of me…possibly even kill me…" Demonte watched the dragon raise onto its hind legs and then drop with a violent downswing. Demonte stumbled backwards and fell onto his rear. His gun had slid away from him, landing in the back of the cavern. 

Demonte turned back towards the gun, and then at the dragon. 

"Celestia!" Demonte shouted over his shoulder. 

"Demonte!" Celestia's eyes reopened. "The heads! Aim for the heads." 

"Are you sure?" Demonte asked, swinging himself to his feet. 

"No I'm not sure!" Celestia shouted with complete sarcasm. "Now stop being an idiot and get up there!" 

Demonte bit his lip, remembering his lost gun. "Great," He muttered. He dashed in between the dragon's legs and grasped the dragon's tail. Roaring, the dragon twisted its body back and forth, the heads screeching with fury. Demonte buried his head into the scales of the tail as it swung into the cavern walls. Rocks rumbled and crashed down to the ground. 

Celestia glanced towards the roof of the cave and jumped off to the side as a boulder crushed the ground where she had once stood. Demonte crawled up the tail, careful as to keep his balance on the mobile body. He held his arms around the dragon's waist and the two heads turned, snapping their gruesome blood-stained teeth at him. 

Demonte reached into his cloak, avoiding the dangerous jaws, and withdrew a dagger from within. He waited for the dragon to come closer but was unaware of the second head advancing towards him. He jerked his head towards the oncoming head and was met with a whip to the face. 

He was torn from the dragon's body and fell onto his back. His face grew with horror as one of the heads readied itself to dive-bomb on top of him. Holding his dagger outstretched before him, the dragon opened its colossal sized mouth and prepared to swallow Demonte. The teeth enclosed around him and Demonte yanked the dagger upwards, catching the roof of the dragon's mouth. 

The dragon stopped moving, startled, as blood rained from its mouth. Demonte closed his eyes as the blood drenched his hair and body and drove the dagger deeper within the dragon's mouth. The head became limp and Demonte pulled the dagger out. He crawled out from underneath the dragon's massive mouth and looked up at the other head. 

Smoke rings swirled around the dragon's nostrils as flames began to emerge from within its mouth. Demonte turned and fled towards his gun. A vortex of heat flared from the dragon's mouth as smoke lingered around its snout. Demonte dove for the gun grabbing the barrel and spinning onto the floor. 

He looked up as the flames converged towards him with such celerity. Leaping out of the way, he prepared to shoot the dragon. 

That is…until someone beat him to the punch. 

Blood gushed from the dragon's eyes as the white of the circular balls became punctured with bullets. The dragon screeched and rammed its head into the cavern wall next to him. Still, bullets continued to pound into its head. Demonte watched as Celestia pulled the trigger one last time and caught the dragon between the eyes. 

The dragon's body lunged forward and collapsed to the ground. Blood soaked the floor as both heads lay dead and the body of the dragon remained still. Demonte picked himself up and staggered towards Celestia. 

"I'm not even going to ask what that was there." He muttered. 

She turned her eyes towards him, beaming. "See? I'm not so much of an amateur after all." Her smile disappeared as she gazed into his eyes. Faltering backwards, Demonte reached up for the hood of his cloak and flipped it over his face. 

"Let's go find the others," He said coolly.   


  



	21. November City

Disclaimer: Give me a break.

Yay! Two different chapters to two different stories are up! Yes, I'm very sick. I live in the snow and it's quite sad. You'll notice soon enough that my immune system is broken and I'm always sick. ^_^ Anyway I got a review a little while back that asked 'Who was Hikki?' lol I know who Simple And Clean is by but my friends just call her Hikki. It's by Utada Hikaru but yeah. We like calling her "Hikki" lol. grin Don't ask me why.

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Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty

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November City

__

"There's a silence surrounding me

I can't seem to think straight

I'll sit in the corner

Where no one can bother me

I think I should speak now

(Why won't you talk to me?)

I can't seem to speak now

(You never talk to me)

My words won't come out right

(What are you thinking?)

I feel like I'm drowning"

-Pink Floyd (Lyrics from Keep Talking)

****

Meryl's eyes fluttered open as she groaned and looked up. Vash had her perched onto his back. Blushing furiously, she began to pound violently on his back.

"What the hell do you think that you're doing!?" She shouted as she pushed herself away from him.

Vash stumbled forward and turned towards her, looking almost hurt. But the expression quickly vanished as BDN stopped by Meryl's side.

"Still filled with spunk," BDN commented. "Even after that big falling out at the jail cell."

"Huh?" Meryl's eyes focused on BDN. "You're okay!" She smiled. "Demonte and I were worried about you."

"Someone poisoned the food." BDN said.

"So we had guessed." Meryl responded.

"Demonte had the right idea when it came to that food business." BDN laughed. "I'll have to listen to him more often."

"What is this place anyway?" Meryl asked. "Where are the others? Are they okay? Do you know why they took you guys?"

"Slow down girl," BDN smiled. "I'm afraid we can't answer your questions right now, but maybe someone else can."

"Huh?" Meryl's face became puzzled. "Such as whom?"

"Celestia." Vash spoke.

"Celestia!?" Meryl staggered backwards. "What are you talking about? I doubt Celestia wouldn't be in on this." She said with skepticism.

"Believe what you want," Vash shrugged. "When I woke up in the cell about three or four rooms away from here, I overheard her and our kidnappers talking. Supposedly, this has to do with some kind of debt she owes them."

"Oh, really?" Meryl folded her arms over her chest.

"You sure, Vash?" BDN questioned.

"Positive." He answered.

"Then why didn't you bother to try to save her? You always go out of your way to be the hero, Vash." Meryl eyed him suspiciously.

"Because that's when I saw YOU running down the corridor across from me." Vash replied just as intimating as she had. "And I followed you."

Footsteps trailed down the hall and resounded in the trio's ears.

"Quiet!" BDN hissed, reaching for his holster. "We aren't alone."

The footsteps ceased and tension resided within the trio.

"Hey!" Came a familiar voice. "Is anyone down here?"

Meryl sighed heavily. "It's just Celestia." Meryl's voice rose. "Celestia, it's me, Meryl! Who else is with you!?"

"Just Demonte," She answered. "You?"

"Vash and BDN!" Meryl responded.

"BDN!?" Meryl heard Demonte call out and the footsteps quickened into a run.

Demonte stopped as he looked on ahead. "Well I'll be damned," He smiled. "It is you."

"Who else were you expecting?" BDN chuckled.

"We found you at the inn, bleeding very badly," Meryl explained. "Demonte healed you."

"Healed me?" BDN grinned. "Wow, Dem, you have a heart after all!"

Demonte frowned. "Shut up."

"All right," Meryl broke between them. "We have more important matters at hand. We need to find Jessica and Milly and then find out where those tremors came from."

"They're probably in the jail cells west of here," Vash speculated. "When I escaped from my own cell, I wandered around for a while, so I know my way around here fairly well."

"Was that before or after you found Celestia?" Meryl asked.

"Before. You didn't think that they would put us altogether, did you?" Vash told her.

"Well whatever," BDN said. "Let's just find them and get out of here. While I'm itching for a fight, I don't think that it's a wise thing to encounter our kidnappers. Did you guys feel those tremors earlier?"

"Those were from a two-headed dark dragon," Demonte said. "Celestia and I took care of it."

"Well, that's pretty amazing," BDN bellowed with laughter.

"It was a demon, wasn't it?" Vash asked, strangely calm.

"Yeah, it was a 'Forbidden Beast'." Demonte responded.

"And the kidnappers, they were human, right? Did you kill them?"

Celestia and Demonte fidgeted.

"Vash," Meryl cut in. "Nobody died. It's all okay now."

Vash sulked as he straightened his back. "I wish to prevent death if I can," He muttered. "No one deserves to die, no matter how evil."

Demonte turned, and retreated down the hall.

"Here, they are," Vash pointed to the jail cells. "Let's start looking."

Milly and Jessica were found in the cells at the very end of the hall, unconscious. BDN and Vash blasted the doors off of the hinges with their weapons and Vash turned to Meryl. "Speaking of which, here." He handed her the Taurus.

"Thanks," She said, shoving it back into her holster. "This gun is important to me; I don't want to lose it." BDN entered the cell and put a finger to each of the girls' wrists.

"They're breathing," He said. "But the drug must not have worn off yet. It will soon enough."

"Let's get back above ground," Vash said and turned to Celestia. "I think that aside from getting the sand steamer from the Mayor, we have other THINGS to discuss…"

Celestia shrunk backwards.

"Hey," Demonte came to her defense. "It will all be explained, Vash. Don't you worry…"

BDN hoisted Milly onto his back as Vash reached down for Jessica, and said nothing.

Back above the ground, Meryl glanced around the deserted town. "This town must've been deserted from the start," She commented. "And those men must've taken over after all the people vanished."

"Well I don't give a hoo-haw about that," BDN shifted his weight and adjusted Milly on his back. "Let's just get back to the inn. I'm just as curious as to know why all of that took place down there."

Celestia bit her lip.

Back within the Inn, Milly and Jessica were placed on the beds in Demonte's room as everyone gathered around Celestia.

"I'll tell you what you want to know," Demonte started, but ceased as Celestia put a hand to his shoulder.

"I'll do it." She said softly and turned to face her peers. "Three months ago, I came to the town of December where Bernardelli offered to help me get set up and I bribed the Chief to let me pay the Society back at another time."

"Bernardelli!?" Meryl gasped. "I used to work there…!"

"When it came time for me to pay them back, I didn't have the money and the Chief offered to let the entire ordeal go if I slept with him."

Meryl's face scrunched up with sadness as disbelief poured over her.

"I refused," Celestia continued. "And he threatened to get me back. I was attacked a few months after that by twenty of his lackeys and that's where I met Demonte," She bobbed her head in his direction. "He saved me from them and I asked if I could follow him until I got to November. He agreed and that's when I met all of you."

"And what happened here?" BDN asked. "Was this Bernardelli too?"

"I had no idea that Senica was the headquarters of Bernardelli AND the Chief. Everyone in this town must've been associated with Bernardelli and like Meryl said, the town is indeed deserted except for them. When I was spotted in this town, an order was made for me to be captured. That's where the food came in. I must admit that I had doubts myself about the food, like Demonte, but brushed them away. They only involved you because you were my companions…" Celestia lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"And after that?" Vash asked. "What happened to the Chief?"

"Gone," Demonte cut in. "He escaped with his lackeys. I'm not sure if the guy I met was even the Head Honcho."

"I don't know…" Celestia responded. "He applied himself to the position but I couldn't get a reading on him. He knows how to hide himself well and I haven't seen the Chief in a long while."

"Well," BDN chewed on his bottom lip. "That explains everything…Except where the hell they got that Forbidden Beast…"

"Search me…" Celestia shrugged.

Milly and Jessica stirred from their beds. The attention of the others was drawn from Celestia to the two girls.

"And about time." BDN's lips twisted into a smile. "You okay, ladies?"

The two looked up, somewhat confused, and glanced around the bedroom.

"What…happened?" Jessica blinked. "I remember being in the dining room and then…"

"Passing out…" Milly finished.

Their comrades laughed. "Thank God you missed it," Meryl smiled.

"Now," BDN grinned maliciously, "About getting that sand steamer…"

"How did it go?" Vash jumped off of the stairs as BDN entered through the doorway of the inn.

"Pretty good as far as I'd say." BDN cracked his knuckles. "After all, the guy IS still alive."

"What did the Mayor say about the sand steamer?" Meryl asked, leaning against the hotel clerk's counter.

"Well, since all of his buddies ditched town and he's the only one left…" BDN flashed a white paper in the faces of his companions. "He had no choice but to abide to my demands."

"You didn't have to threaten him too much, right?" Jessica asked, swinging her legs back and forth upon her perch on the counter.

"Nah," BDN waved a hand. "Only a little." Vash stared long and hard at him. "Oh all right, MAYBE I had to pull ol' Betsy out just for a minute or two…" BDN patted his holster. "But we got the pass for the sand steamer, right? This'll be a cinch. We'll be in Roklen in no time flat."

"Oh?" Meryl tilted her head slightly, crossing her arms. "And who do you expect will play the role of the engineer?"

"Simple!" BDN bellowed ecstatically. "ME of course!"

"HUH!?" Came everyone's sudden reply.

"Sure, don't worry about it," BDN smiled one of his 'looks to kill' smiles as he boasted on. "I've got the manpower, the skill, and the good looks."

Meryl facefaulted, dropping her head into her hands. "WHY!?" She cried out as her words became absorbed into her palms.

BDN attempted to rile up the sand steamer as the others climbed in.

"Let's see," He said, rubbing his chin absentmindedly. "Kaite showed me how to use this overly-technical piece of s—"

"Kaite?" Vash asked with interest as he set footing into the room.

"Hmm?" BDN turned and welcomed his friend. "Yeah, that kid all right."

"Where have you seen him around?" Vash asked. "He should be at least in his late teens."

"He's working with everything now," BDN said as he pulled the lever. The sand steamer began to stir and then slowly came alive. "All right!" BDN cheered as he turned back to Vash. "Hey what's wrong?"

Vash lifted his melancholy face and it dissolved quickly as he held a false smile. "Nothing, just thinking."

BDN leaned his weight against the backseat of the Captain's chair. "Let me guess. You're thinking about those four years when you went missing, am I right?"

"Well," Vash grinned. "Guess you pinned me."

BDN shook his head. "I'm not gonna ask what kept you Vash. You probably had your reasons, as we all do, but to dwell on the past now…it ain't easy, nor is it worth it. To ask yourself what might have been if you had charted a different course…you see that you should've charted the impossible, even if in reality you really couldn't, your mind begins to believe that you could've. The point is that you're here now and all past grudges and feelings should be left in the past, where they belong. You think about Kaite and how he was just a little kid the last time you saw him, and here you think of him of an adult…" BDN shrugged. "Well almost. He still has an attitude that really irritates me."

Vash held himself in BDN's words. Then he thought of Wolfwood, his long departed friend. "You know, I used to know someone who had said the same thing to me." Vash's voice saddened, and BDN stared at him, sympathetically. "He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, trying to define good and bad. And in the end he died. I want to believe that…just before he died, he really did find what he was looking for."

"And what would that be, Vash the Stampede?"

Vash's face lifted, his eyes glistening with heartfelt tears as a smile cracked from his lips. "A place to belong."

The train was moving shortly after as the fog began to set in. It was still early in the day, just barely breaking the afternoon, but the sun refused to shine, except of what it could through the mist. The sand steamer proved to be very small, and there was only enough room to fit a dining room in the back of the steamer, a kitchen, a bar, a couple of first-class cabins, and restrooms for both genders. 

"You know there was a day that I would kill for the sun to go away and never come back," BDN said over the intercom. "Now it's always so damned dreary out. Guess you should be careful for what you wish for."

"No one asked to be put here on this desert planet," Demonte's voice rose so that the intercom could catch it.

"True," BDN agreed. "But that still didn't stop me from wanting the sun to go away. I can't tell you how much I regret wishing that now."

Vash shifted uneasily in the dining room with his other companions.

"Shouldn't you be concentrating on driving the sand steamer?" Meryl asked.

"I am, I am," BDN said hastily. "'I'm just lonely up here. Anyone want to come up and talk with me?" BDN could be heard chuckling on the other end of the intercom. "Perhaps the lovely Jessica or the glamorous Milly? Or maybe the astounding Celestia?"

The girls giggled at the flattery as Meryl pursed her lips together bitterly. "And what does that make me?"

"The old bag." BDN responded.

"WHAT!?" Meryl nearly knocked over the table.

Demonte rolled his eyes at the adolescent behavior, but a glint of laughter was rising in his hidden eyes. He lowered his head, his hood mimicking his movements, to keep from anyone noticing.

The three girls ran out of the room, heading for the bridge, and Meryl stomped unhappily after. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU BDN, I'LL…!" Meryl had already left.

"It's good to have those guys," Vash said after a moment of silence. "The tension around here is so thick, I don't think I could bear much more unhappy news."

"I suppose to some extent, I'll agree." Demonte said as he reached for a bottle of whiskey. "You drink?"

"Sure, why not?" Vash held out his glass as Demonte unscrewed the cap and poured the alcohol for Vash.

Demonte turned and poured for himself and set the bottle back on the table. "I told BDN to stop at November City." Demonte said, taking a swig.

"Why?" Vash asked, sipping off of his own drink.

"When Celestia and I first met, she asked me to take her to November City. She was doing it to get away from Bernardelli." Demonte shrugged. "So I've kept my word and brought her here. She should be safe now."

"But the Boss of Bernardelli…" Vash protested.

"He experienced somewhat of an unfortunate end." Demonte admitted. "Even though Celestia didn't know much about the man, I'm pretty sure that it was the Chief. I'm sorry. I know you don't like to hear about death."

Vash was silent for a while, his eyes diverted to the mahogany wood of the table. "No," He said finally. "I don't." Vash pried his eyes away from the table and stared at Demonte. "How do you feel about her leaving?"

"I'm…not quite sure how to feel. I suppose at the beginning of this all, I really couldn't give a damn. I never grew up feeling very much of anything. Actually, most of my childhood is a blur to me, except of what my Guardian has told me. Supposedly, my parents never really cared about whether or not I was alive. I think sometimes I can see those visions of my parents and their cruelty, but most of it is hazy, so I've gone by what my Guardian has said."

"Sometimes, it's better to find out the truth for yourself," Vash said. "And not listen to what others say. Because…how can you believe that what they say is real?"

Demonte paused. "Wow, I didn't expect that from you, Vash. You've always seem to be the trusting sort."

"No, I didn't mean to word it like that," Vash sliced his hand through the air, as though to clear his words. "What I mean is that…well…I had a friend who always believed in what his mentor taught him. When my friend found that what he had learned was wrong, he was killed. I believe that somewhere, before he died, he found the truth…but it was too late for him to make amends for the countless deaths that he had sewn into his quilt of bloodshed." Vash poured himself another drink. "I just don't want to see the same thing happen to you."

"Don't worry," Demonte assured. "It won't."

"Then how do you feel about her leaving?"

"I…I don't know," Demonte rose from his chair. "I guess…sad."

"Don't guess. How do you feel?"

"With my fingers," Demonte said with fetishism as he headed for the door.

"You're barricading yourself again," Vash warned. "We're just trying to help you."

Demonte stood at the door for a moment before nodding. "I know."

"Here we are, November City girls." BDN pulled the brakes to the sand steamer.

"Why are we here? Aren't we supposed to be going to Roklen?" Jessica asked as she hung onto the back of BDN's chair.

"Dem asked me to make a stop here." BDN answered.

Celestia shifted uncomfortably.

"Good job BDN," Demonte said as he entered the bridge. "We're alive and we all didn't die in some horrible and yet expected accident."

"Hey!" BDN glared at the cloaked man. "I'm a good driver."

"I wouldn't say so," Meryl said.

"Aww, Meryl, come on!" BDN grinned. "It wasn't THAT bad of a ride over here. I think I did a brilliant job. Quite flashy and––"

"A pain in the butt is ALL you were, Brilliant Dynamites Neon." Meryl scoffed. "You should be happy that I'm letting you get away with it."

"Yes, Ma'am." BDN said.

Meryl hopped up from her seat. "Well, if we've made a complete stop, then I'll see around about finding us an inn."

"Oh, and make sure they don't serve breakfast!" BDN called over his shoulder.

"Speak for yourself!" Meryl shouted back. "YOU'RE the one who ate everyone else's food!"

"Oh…" BDN paused. "That's right, huh?"

Meryl's groan could be heard from down the hall.

Demonte stepped outside, stretching. November was small, he observed. Much smaller than he had realized when they had pulled in. It was nearing sundown, he noted, although it was too hard to tell with the fog. Not many people would be out and around at this hour.

Then a sinking feeling bubbled up inside of his stomach.

"Ashon…" He said. "I have to go see Stan." He didn't want to. Money didn't even matter now. No…This was something different.

Several hours later, the seven had settled down at an inn, sharing two separate rooms. The men were to sleep downstairs while the women were fortunate enough to have a room upstairs. BDN offered to hunt for food at any open general store and Milly volunteered to go with him.

Jessica was spending her time with Vash as Demonte and Celestia had wandered off without notice.

_"They'll be back soon…"_ Meryl told herself. Stepping into the bathroom of the women's domain, she slipped the black trench coat from her body, leaving her in a black tank top and dark corduroy pants.

Soon disposing of the rest of her clothing, she drew herself a bath and sat down in the tub. Leaning against the wall of the tub, she closed her eyes as the water continued to run.

_"We're almost at Roklen,"_ She thought miserably. _"If it's true that Knives is behind this…"_

She didn't want to think about that.

_"And Vash…after this is over with, where will he go? What will he do? Surely, I can't quit all I've been doing just to follow him around again…"_

Meryl slid further down into the water.

_"He'll leave again, just like he always does, and he won't come back. And Knives…I…"_

**Earth to Meryl! You're letting unhappy thoughts cross your mind again.**

Meryl hadn't realized that she had drifted off to sleep…or that the water was still running.

_"Wolfwood…What should I do?" _Meryl found herself asking the dead preacher. _"As much as I hate to admit it, things were so much better when you were around…"_

And…

And… 

Meryl could feel her body being jerked from out of the water. Coughing and sputtering, she opened her eyes and looked around.

There was no one.

Meryl's attention soon drifted to the water that had begun to overflow over the sides of the tub.

"Oh no!" Meryl groaned as she shut off the water and unplugged the tub. She watched the water that had leaked over the sides of the tub and had turned the bathroom into a nice little swimming pool.

Wrapping a towel around her body, Meryl stood up and stepped out of the tub. She stopped in the puddle of water and looked around.

"Just who pulled me out of the water?" She asked. _'Had I almost drowned?'_

From in the shadows, lurked a dark haired man in a crimson cloak. A wicked grin cracked from his face as his blue eyes pierced through the darkness.

_'Sorry Princess…I don't want you to die…'_ The figure continued to smiled and then became transparent within the walls of the bathroom. _'…yet…'_

And then he disappeared.

Awww man…I hate this chapter lol. I fixed it up while I was sick…just like how I wrote Hunting…while I was sick. Oh well I guess…It's a boring chapter but since we already had a couple of action filled ones, I thought I would let this one slide…for now. Anyway, please R&R (With kind words please. I don't think it's too much to ask) and now I'm off to be melancholy somewhere else…and I'll update like in another two and a half months…Well actually I won't but I don't think that it's wise to post another chapter while I'm sick. It's pointless to read cause it sucks and I don't like wasting my readers' time. So yeah. I'm gonna go lay down.

BTW the dude at the end is someone you should all know well. Try and guess if you want. Oh and I also forgot…Is there anyone I haven't introduced yet that I've mentioned or brought into the story thus far? I'm too sick to remember. Lemme know if there is.

BLD


	22. Friends Never Say Goodbye

Disclaimer**:** Leave me alone…

A/N: This chapter was stretched. Why? Cause everything is planned out to happen at certain chapters. So this is a filler chapter. Nothing really happens in it. If you want, you can even skip it. Now if you're a V/M fan who likes the current tension between the two, then go ahead and read it or something. New characters that have actually come up in the series (therefore, they do NOT belong to me) are mentioned in the chapter. If the mentioning of some of these characters confuse you, let me know and I'll write up a description of them. I just don't want to do it now cause it's late and my notes (Yeah, all 61 pages of them) are huddled somewhere…scared…in a box in the corner of my room.

Demonte is caught in the corner of the room, huddling with the box in his lap.

BLD: What are you doing?

Demonte: (Giving BLD a dangerous look) So I hog all the attention, do I? Then why don't you just get RID of me? Ya know, sell me to one of those big buck-making manufacturers and you'll never have to see me or my attention-hogging ever again!

BLD: -_-'

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty-One

Friends Never Say Goodbye

__

'I walk the streets alone  
On feeble bones I ride  
My sins are etched in stone  
I've got no place to hide  
  
Well, I was unshakable  
In what I did believe  
I feel so breakable  
But have I been deceived?

  
You showed me your paradise

And your carnival of souls  
But my heart keeps telling me  
That ain't the place to go'

-Alice Cooper (Lyrics from 'Stolen Prayer')

****

Demonte observed his cards carefully and then looked back at Vash. "Hit me."

Vash turned over another card and Demonte nodded.

"I'll stay."

Vash grinned and then grabbed another card. "20," He said. "You?"

"21," Demonte folded the cards on the table. "I win."

"You guys are STILL playing Blackjack?" Jessica laughed as she walked into their room with a tray containing three cups full of coffee.

"Thanks," Demonte muttered as he reached for a cup and sipped off of it.

"There's nothing else to do until BDN gets back with our food." Vash pointed out.

"And Milly." Demonte added.

"Your deal." Vash gestured to the cards and Demonte shuffled them in his hand.

"Hey, where's Celestia at?" Jessica held the remaining coffee cup. "Her coffee will get cold if I don't find her."

"She went out for a walk." Demonte said as he dealt several cards out to Vash. "The name of the game is Poker."

"Oh," Jessica replied. "Well…will she be all right by herself?"

"Are you referring to Bernadelli?" Demonte asked as he observed his own hand and discarded three of the cards. "She'll be safe here. Don't worry about her."

The floor above the men's room began to vibrate as Demonte looked up.

"Looks like Meryl is out of the shower." Demonte reached for three cards as Vash discarded two of his. "Maybe she'll join us."

"If she does, I quit." Vash said, eyeing his cards. "I have no intention of playing with her."

"Vash!" Jessica scolded. "That's not very nice."

Vash grinned. "Hey, it's not like she'll play anyway. She hates card games, didn't you know?"

***

Meryl paused, eavesdropping from outside the men's room. Water dripped from the ends of her hair and rolled down the sides of her face, soaking her black tank top.

"That's right Vash," She whispered harshly to herself. "Don't let me spoil your fun." She stormed off down the hall to the laundry room, her black trench coat in one arm.

A short time later, BDN and Milly emerged through the door of the Inn, their arms stuffed with grocery bags.

"Aloha!" BDN greeted as he entered the men's room and dumped the bags onto the table where Demonte and Vash were playing. The cards became trapped underneath the weight of the bags while other cards tumbled from the table and onto the floor.

"Hey!" Vash bent down to pick up the cards. "We were playing in case you hadn't noticed!"

Demonte rolled his eyes and helped Vash pick up the cards.

"Nope, hadn't noticed." BDN laughed as he began unloading the bags. "Who's up for a midnight snack?"

"Oh, is THAT what you call it?" Demonte asked. "Considering that we never even got dinner. What took you two so long anyway?"

"We couldn't find an open store." Milly explained. "Most had either gone out of business or were closed for the evening."

"Such splendor." Demonte reached under the bags for the rest of the cards and handed them to Vash. "Guess our game's over."

"Well I'll be happy to play." BDN said. "What's the game?"

"Shouldn't you all be worrying about Roklen instead of playing stupid card games?" Meryl's figure haunted the doorway, as her dark glare remained focused on the three men.

"See? Told you she'd stink the whole room up." Vash shook his head.

"What did you say!?" Meryl flared.

"Now Mer," BDN grinned. "You know that he was just joking…"

"SURE he was." Meryl quickly turned on her heel and huffed out of the room. "If you guys want to waste your time with THAT scoundrel, then go ahead! I won't stop you!" Her voice carried down the hall and out the Inn door.

"Vash," Jessica turned to Vash. "You didn't have to go and say such horrible things to her…"

"Oh she'll get over it." Vash said, standing up. "But I'm starving! Who wants food?"

***

Celestia shuffled slowly back towards the Inn, her hair sweeping over her shoulders. 

_'I guess this is it…" _She thought to herself. _"Tomorrow, they're going to leave and I'll still be here…just like I wanted. I mean it's no big deal after all. I DID ask Demonte to just take me to November. I should be happy I'm leaving. No more Roklen, no more Alchemists, no more Hell's Mafia…'_

"That's just it. I should be happy." Celestia said. Then her emotions got the best of her as her head drooped towards the ground. "But I'm not."

_'I want to stay with them…HIM…I really do…But I don't have a reason to. They wouldn't want me to tag along with them without a reason to. They'll just say that it's too dangerous for me to handle…or something like that. After all, I couldn't even take down an Insurance Company. What hopes do I have of stopping the Roklen Alchemists?'_

She hugged her body tightly and stood there, unmoving, in the road. She restrained herself from crying, but couldn't stop the muffled sniffles that had managed to escape. "I'm so confused…" She choked. "What should I do…?"

***

Meryl drug her feet outside, grasping a bottle of hard whiskey. Twisting the cap off, she proceeded to bring the bottle to her lips, and chug a hearty portion of the bottle. Wiping her mouth, she fell back onto the porch steps, her shoulders slumped over.

"Who the hell does that guy think he is?" Meryl grumbled. "And he says that I'M the heartless, cold, uncaring one."

She sighed heavily.

"So! Who wants to party!?" She could hear BDN all the way from the men's room. If they didn't quiet down, they would surely be spending the night on the streets.

Meryl sulked, and continued to wash her problems away with the bottle.

"Hey, where you going Dem?" BDN asked. The door opened behind Meryl.

"Out," Came the nonchalant, cold voice.

"All right," BDN said, walking back into the men's room. "Suit yourself."

Silence fell to the night and Demonte's unmoving presence made Meryl uneasy. Finally, much to her relief, he took a seat by her side.

"I figured I'd find you out here."

"Hmph…" Meryl turned her head away.

"You're not letting Vash get to you are you?"

"Why would I do a thing like that?" Meryl asked, bringing the bottle back up to her lips.

Before she could take her well-deserved swig, Demonte snatched the bottle out of her hands and drank from the bottle himself.

"Hey!" Meryl reached for the bottle, but Demonte kept it from her reach.

"Ladies such as yourself shouldn't be drowning their problems in alcohol, Meryl." Demonte held the bottle in front of her face tauntingly and then stood up. "I expected more from you than that." He finished off the bottle and licked his lips. "That was great whiskey. Here," He tossed the bottle back in her direction.

"Where are YOU going?" Meryl asked, holding the empty bottle in disgust.

"Out for a walk," He replied. "Please, try not to drink so much. I'd hate to have to carry a passed out grown woman back to her room."

"I am NOT an alcoholic, THANK you very much!"

"I never expected you to be a drinker, either." He replied and then disappeared into the night.

Meryl glanced down at the bottle and shook it. "He didn't have to drink ALL of it." She stood up and walked back inside of the inn.

***

Demonte quickened his pace, trudging through the sand. He was few iles away from the town, and the wind quickly covered up his footsteps. In the horizon he could make out some small lights, indicating that he was close to the small town of Ashon.

_'At least the wind isn't so bad tonight,'_ Demonte thought to himself. _'I had feared that it would be worse.'_ He looked up, half-expecting to see a moon, but didn't feel let down when none came into view.

Demonte reached the deserted road minutes later, and reached for the map Cliff had given him. Unfolding it, he buried his face into it and used his Forbidden Magicks to light the area. Minutes later, he had spotted the large X at the end of town.

"So Stranger, what's a man such as yourself doing out at this time of night?" Demonte jumped, startled. He spun around immediately, catching the eyes of the figure in front of him.

The silhouette merely smiled, his pearly teeth reflecting against the light of Demonte's powers. "Welcome back Stranger."

Demonte breathed in happily, regaining his senses. "Dammit Stan, you scared me."

"So sorry, Demonte. I couldn't resist."

"Speaking of late night walks, what are you doing out here?"

Stan stepped out of the shadows, chewing on the end of a large cigar. "Waiting for you, what else?"

"How did you know I was here?" Demonte asked.

Stan looked around, cautiously. "The boy told me."

"Boy?"

"Neil."

Demonte's eyes widened. "He's here?"

"Yup," Stan blew a smoke ring through his nostrils. "He's finishing up his own business. He'll be gone by tomorrow."

"So he's staying with you?" Demonte asked.

"Currently, although he's not back at my place at the moment. But you've come to talk business, haven't you? Come on, I'll take you back to my personal domain. We'll discuss matters there." Stan slapped an arm over Demonte's shoulders and led him back to his residence.

***

"So what's the deal, Stan?" Demonte asked as Stan lit a candle in the middle of the room and set it down on a faded wooden table. "You don't even have electricity."

"Yeah," Stan said, sitting himself down in a chair. "Being ex-sheriff pays off, huh?"

"I'll take that as sarcasm."

"Well look around, Demonte. Three rooms: bathroom, front room with half a kitchen in it, and a bedroom. For crying out loud I don't even have a closet much less electricity."

Demonte nodded. "Sounds pretty rough."

"You don't know the half of it." Stan chuckled as he pulled his derby from his head. "But pretty soon, all will be ours and we'll be able to feast off the luxuries of this damned planet."

"What luxuries?" Demonte asked as he arose from his chair, and began to walk around the room.

"We'll rule the world in fear, m'boy. I'll finally get the fame I've been aching for all this time." Stan leaned back in his chair and propped his legs up on the table, careful not to hit the candle. "No more Granus, no more Alchemists, no more I.T.F., just us. ONLY us."

"Fame, Stan? Is that really all you're in for?" Demonte arched his back slightly, his eyes set on Stan.

"Hell yeah." Stan laughed. "Isn't that what most of us are in for?"

"What do you mean?" Demonte asked.

"Well, take Descartes and that fellow Loose Ruth for example. Those two are only in it for fame. Isn't that why they went after Vash all those years ago?"

"And I see that their aim still hasn't changed," Demonte fingered a picture frame of Orleans…before the Dark Ages.

"Nah, and that fellow Vash the Stampede is still alive. What a great reward for most of us. Between you and me, that's another reason I joined this Mafia."

"Because of Vash?"

"Bingo." Stan laughed. "I take it back. Fame AND Vash's head are the TWO MAIN reasons that these so-called 'members' of the Hell's Mafia are even here."

"I'm sure not all of them are in for it…" Demonte said. "I'm not after fame, nor Vash's head."

"Oh?" Stan was caught off guard with that remark. "That surprises me, Demonte. Being the greedy little bastard you've always been, I never expected a remark like that out of you."

"Things change, Stan." Demonte turned his head back to Stan. "Well? Isn't there anyone who isn't after Vash's head or fame?"

"Cliff Schzzarre," Stan started. "He's in it out of devotion. And the Nebraska Family. They're USELESS without Rohgsworn. He's the one who bailed them out in the first place."

"What about that boy? Neil?"

"Him?" Stan cleared his throat. "He's from May City. His mother and father were killed by bandits about four years ago. He's nearing 20 now, only a few years away from it. I think two or three." Stan shifted in his chair. "Then there's those two wanderers from the caravan. They're indebted to Rohgsworn. They couldn't leave Hell's Mafia if they even tried." He laughed. "You see what I mean, Demonte? Everyone's reasons, they're almost always the same. Nothing's different."

"So I see…" Demonte decided to change the subject. "Cliff said you had business for me. What was it?"

"Eh? Oh I had the kid take care of it yesterday. Just an assassination, that's all. No biggy, we do that all the time. And with all that you have going on with Granus, I wouldn't dare disturb your work. Who knows what Rohgsworn would do to me then."

"Then I just have one message for you: BE THERE when Granus comes. Roklen is going down."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Stan waved him off. "Of course, no problem. I have it all taken care of so don't worry your little head."

"Is there anything else?" Demonte asked.

"Not at the moment. The kid's done everything. He'll be back real soon anyway."

"All right then," Demonte nodded. "Then my work here is done."

"Wait, don't you need to claim that money of yours?" Stan pointed out. "I mean, I'm sorry that I took care of all my business, but that money is still yours."

Demonte pondered for a moment, and then shook his head. "You know what Stan? You keep the money. Why don't you use it and put it towards fixing up this place. Like…say, electricity?" Demonte turned towards the door, and stepped outside.

Stan, in his bewildered state, watched Demonte leave, and then shook his head, chuckling. "You sneaky blasted thing. You really aren't a money-grubbing bastard anymore, are you?"

***

"Hey!" BDN beat on the door to the bathroom, waiting for a reply. "All right Vash, get out of the shower already! You've had it for WAY too long!"

Milly and Jessica began to crack up with laughter.

"The girls all got their turn in their room!" BDN stomped his foot. "This is injustice, you know that!? Hey! I'm warning you!"

"Oh put a sock in it, Brilliant," Celestia entered the room, cheerful and optimistic. "None us have gotten to bathe in a few days. Let us enjoy it for once."

"Yeah right!" BDN yelled over his shoulder. "I'll bet all the hot water is gone."

"Aw, Celestia," Jessica sighed. "You were gone for so long, your coffee got cold."

"…I'm sorry," Celestia smiled. "Thank you for the gesture though. I'll go warm it up." Jessica pointed to the glass on the table and Celestia picked it up gingerly.

Turning to exit the room, she began to walk down the hall and Milly shook her head.

"Mr. Vash told Mr. Neon that Celestia is staying here." Milly whispered so that BDN wouldn't hear.

"Hmm?" Jessica turned to Milly. "How did you find out?"

"Mr. Neon told me. It's quite sad. I don't want to see Celestia go." Milly frowned. "I've grown accustomed to this kind of lifestyle. It's a shame to have it end so suddenly. She's leaving, and soon we'll be in Roklen. After that, Mr. Vash will leave once he finds Mr. Knives. And Mr. Demonte will leave too…And then Meryl and…"

"Now Milly," Jessica soothed. "No one is going anywhere. Let's just wait and see what happens, shall we? Why, I'm certain that Vash won't leave again. And if we have to, we'll tie Celestia and Demonte down and make them stay!"

Milly smiled and nodded. "That's right! In the name of pudding, we'll force them to stay here!"

"Pudding!" Jessica laughed. "Now I want some."

"FINALLY!" BDN said as Vash exited the room, wearing a white shirt and baggy green pants.

Vash watched as BDN quickly hogged the bathroom and Vash shrugged. "What's his problem?"

***

From within the Inn's kitchen, Celestia was warming the coffee. She stood there, towering over it, letting her thoughts overwhelm her and take her back into a deep and depressed state.

Then the front door opened ever so softly from the back, and footsteps shuffled into the kitchen.

"I knew I smelled something good." It was Demonte.

"Ha! It's just coffee. And I knew it was you too."

"Well I don't smell THAT bad," Demonte chuckled. "If you could smell me coming in."

Celestia turned to face him. Her sad eyes were full of tears, but strangely; a smile still remained on her face.

"What's wrong?" Demonte asked, concerned.

"N-Nothing," She replied, turning back to the coffee.

Demonte sighed, feeling the good atmosphere disappear quickly. "You're leaving tomorrow."

"I know that."

"You should be happy. I mean, you're safe from Bernardelli and all of Hell's Mafia and Granus…"

"Yeah…I guess so…"

"You don't sound very happy."

"Well, it's just…" Celestia struggled with the words. She turned to look back at Demonte, who was waiting patiently for her answer. "I…mean…I…" 

Suddenly, a large crash thundered through the floor and the two looked up.

"Geez, what the hell was that!?" Demonte asked.

"I-I think that was Meryl," Celestia told him. "Her presence is coming through to me quite strongly…"

"Meryl!? Crap!" Demonte bolted from the room without thought and Celestia gazed after him.

"Wait––" She sighed, defeated. "Never mind."

***

"Hey, Meryl?" Demonte rapped his hand against the door. It opened slowly under his touch and he pushed it open.

The room was dark.

"Meryl?" He called out to her. Then he feared the worst. "Either you're really drunk, playing a lousy game of hide-and-seek, or…you're not really Meryl at all…An intruder perhaps?" He reached for his gun, anticipating any kind of reaction within the room. "Hello?"

He felt a cool breeze ripple his cloak and he spotted an open window. "…Meryl?" Tension began to build inside of him. "You know this is a really rotten trick, if you're playing one."

Then he heard coughing and recurring sputtering. He turned his head in the direction of…the bathroom.

"Meryl?" He sighed. "You're drunk, aren't you?" He knocked on the bathroom door. "All right, the fun and games are over. Either you open the door or I'll bust it down."

"Hang on," He heard her mutter. The door was unlatched and opened. He looked down into her pale face and droopy eyelids. Her hair was mattered and she was wearing a long blue nightshirt.

"What happened to you?" He dared to ask.

She rubbed her eyes and turned off the light. "I slipped and fell down on the floor. Sorry if I woke you up." She brushed past him and walked to her bed.

"Nah, it didn't do anything to me. Celestia and I just thought that you hurt yourself. How did you fall?"

"Guess that whiskey got to me after all."

He sighed. "Don't tell me you decided to drink more…"

"No. Three swigs was enough, if not, TOO much, for me."

Demonte almost laughed. "A woman who can't hold her own. That's humorous."

"Well come over here and let me show you how humorous it is." She pulled the blankets over her head and flopped onto the pillow.

"You look like a wreck."

"I feel like one too. Good night."

Demonte slowly shut the door but did not exit. Instead he walked over to the bed and yanked the covers from off of her body.

"Dammit!" She screeched as she began to tug back. "What are you doing!?"

"Why do you let him get to you?" Demonte asked.

"Who!?" Meryl snapped.

"You know who. Vash. Why do you let him get to you?"

"I do NOT let Vash get to me. Now GIVE ME THE COVERS!" She leaned forward and with one swift hand movement, Demonte pushed her back onto the mattress.

"Liar. Tell ol' Demonte the truth."

"Grrr…" Meryl growled and sat back up. "I'm going to rip your heart out, Kalabis. I am NOT feeling good and I WANT to go to BED!"

"I'll bet the whiskey had something to do with it." Demonte joked.

Meryl lurched forward, tackling Demonte to the floor. He quickly released the covers and shielded his face with his arms as she began to swing at him.

"You asked for it! Now I'm going to kill you!" Taking his chances, Demonte grabbed Meryl by the shoulders and pulled her down to the floor. Twisting her arms behind her back, he grinned.

"I win. Well, now that that's settled and I declare victorious, do you wish to tell me what's REALLY on your mind?"

Meryl blew the loose strands from her face and looked away from Demonte. "It's nothing," She said. 

Demonte knew that he was treading on thin ice, yet he still pressed. "Meryl," He said sternly. "I KNOW there's something on your mind. And as the tormentor of this group, I DEMAND to know what it is."

Finally, Meryl snapped.

"And why the hell is that!?" She forcefully tore herself from his grasp and pointed to the door. "Get out." She commanded.

Demonte stood there, unmoving.

"Are you waiting for a written invitation!?"

"What happened all those years ago between you two?" Demonte asked calmly. No one even noticed the opening door.

"NOTHING!" She spat. "Except that smug bastard up and left us and never came back!"

"I knew I heard a snake's voice somewhere in here." Vash stood in the doorway, his arms folded over his chest. "We heard the commotion from downstairs and I offered to check it out. You know the other guests are complaining about us."

"Ah, good!" Demonte grinned. "Now the party's all here."

Meryl's face glowered beneath the darkness of the room and Vash merely snorted.

"_SNAKE_, MR. VASH?" Meryl bellowed. "I'll show you a SNAKE." Meryl lunged forward, ready to pounce into the doorway. Demonte hopped to his feet and skillfully grabbed Meryl, restraining her from causing any REAL damage.

"I'll tear your head off MR. Vash!" Meryl shouted, wrestling against Demonte's body.

"Well, that's a start in today's session," Demonte said, pulling back on Meryl's shoulders.

"You know I get that a lot from jealous, pretty girls…" Meryl paused for the moment. "…but in your case, I'll make an exception with the prettiness part." Vash turned his head.

Meryl immediately began to thrash and jerk her body out of Demonte's grip.

"WHY I OUTTA––"

"Vash you're not helping!" Demonte shouted at him as he continued to hold Meryl against her will.

"Yeah well you're not much of a gentleman either, Mr. Hotshot!" Meryl countered. "Taking off and leaving your friends and brother behind!"

"I wouldn't be talking, Miss-All-Talk-And-No-Action-Because-I-Don't-Have-The-Guts-To-Back-Up-What-I-Threaten-People-With!" Vash's face began to darken dangerously.

"Knives was more of a gentleman than you'll ever be, Vash the Stampede!" Meryl retorted.

With that, Vash's back straightened and he stepped backwards. There was a long pause before Vash spoke again.

"I'm wiping my hands clean of this argument." Vash told her. "You're neither my friend nor companion. For the time being we are only allies. But once I do find Knives, I hope to never see you again."

"And that goes likewise as well!" Meryl ceased thrashing and watched as he left the room. She stood still for the moment, then bowed her head, sniffling, and Demonte watched as tears began to roll down her face.

"Meryl…" He started, quietly.

"Please…let me go…" She whispered.

He did so. She fled back towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

He stared after her for a long while, and finally sat backwards, landing on the edge of the bed.

"It's not your fault," He heard a voice enter the room. The sound of soft padding on the wooden floor was followed closely behind.

"I disagree." He told Celestia. "I shouldn't have tried to pry her about Vash."

"You were only trying to help, Demonte," Celestia joined him on the bedside. "And for that I'm sure she's grateful. It's just…this is an argument between the two that can only be solved…"

"…Between the two." Demonte finished. "I understand that, but I think I made it worse."

Celestia slowly reached forward and grabbed his hand.

"What…was it in the argument that made it worse?"

"The last two arguments that I've heard from them usually ended with something about his brother, Knives. Last time, Vash 'accused' her of running off with Knives and this time…" Demonte chuckled. "Meryl sort of deflated Vash's ego." He apparently didn't mind her holding his hand.

"Using Knives as an example?"

"Yeah."

Celestia grew silent.

"Things will get better," She assured after a moment. "You'll see…"

For everyone's sake, Demonte certainly hoped so.

***

BLD: Demonte…put the box down. NOW.

Demonte: Why don't you just sell me!? And then I'll never hog ANY of the attention EVER again! Why did you even create me!? TO HOG ATTENTION!? IS THAT MY ONLY PURPOSE!? WELL I HATE YOU!

BLD: Most people do. Now. Hand over the box.

Demonte snarls (My Lord…he has fangs…since when did I give him those?) and tosses the box of notes into the fire.

BLD: …

Demonte: You think you can play GOD with ME, EH!? Well now you CAN'T!

BLD: …But your entire character description was in there. Shouldn't you be vanishing right about now?

Demonte halts, and then breaks into hysterical sobs as he scuttles from the room.

BLD: sigh As usual, please R&R…without the usage of bad words please. 

And until next time…which will hopefully be soon…I guess…

BLD


	23. Hallucinations Or Reality?

Disclaimer: Don't own stuff. Random word of the day: Food. 

A/N: Yeah, yeah, it's been a while but I DID post again, right? I'm just in a mild slump right now. Give me some time and I'll pick everything right back up. Of course, that depends on all of you too. So if you've been reading this and HAVEN'T reviewed it (only if you've liked the story of course. If you absolutely hate it then...wait a minute...if you hate it, why are you reading it!?) please do so. I've gotten some support from people who really do like the story and I thank those people because, hey, here's the next chapter right? Anyway, hope you enjoy it. It's kinda boring in this one too, but we're nearing Roklen so, stay on your toes. :)   


****

Gott Weiss Ich Will Kein Engel Sein

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hallucinations Or Reality?

__

'Take me back to the rivers of belief 

Take me back to the rivers of belief 

My friend 

I look inside my heart 

I look inside my soul 

I promise you 

I will return 

And when the Lamb opened the seventh seal 

Silence covered the sky 

Take me back to the rivers of belief 

Take me back to the rivers of belief 

My friend 

I look inside my heart 

I look inside my soul 

I'm reaching out for you 

Lets hope one day 

We'll rest in peace 

On my rivers of belief' 

-Enigma (Lyrics from 'The Rivers Of Belief')

__

Who knew that heaven could exist on such a planet? Tall, sturdy, green trees with leaves filling in any kind of space between each other, and grass that stretched for iles, lined with flowers. It was all too familiar, he had told himself, like from another life, far, far away.

The trees from back then clearly weren't as plump and filling as they were here, and the grass was much softer here than from where the boy thought that he had remembered seeing it.

He turned, hearing the sound of those familiar padded slip-ons that the old woman would wear. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched the chubby woman step down from the porch, her arms straining from all the food she was carrying.

She was a brunette, with streaks of gray slowing creeping into her hair. Her glasses had fallen from her eyes and dangled just the slightest from the tip of her nose. The boy offered to take the food from her hands and she greatly obliged. Wiping the crumbs from her hands and onto her white apron, she pulled down on her light blue dress, her bosom bouncing lightly as he turned away from her, searching for a spot to set down her groceries.

"What's the occasion?" The boy had asked her.

"I thought that you and your Grandfather might enjoy a picnic outdoors. Do be a darling and set the food down at the table there by the garden."

He walked obediently over to the table, careful not to spill anything. But he was very muscular for his age, so the old woman was sure he could handle it.

"We'll have a splendid time," She said, twirling the ends of her dress around in the air. "Oh, just wait until your Grandfather gets home, Demonte…"

Demonte was awoken by the blaring snores coming from the hefty man on the floor. Demonte sighed and turned over, holding a pillow over his face. "BDN…" He shook his head. He pulled his hood over his head as he held the pillow with the other hand. "Of all the dreams for you to wreck, I sure wish it wasn't the one I was just having."

He remained there, unmoving, trying to recollect what the dream had been about. He couldn't remember much, only the old woman and the green acres of Geo Plants. He strained his brain for more about the memory, the woman, and the Geo Plants, but his thoughts were at a standstill.

"Forget it," He grumbled and sat up. _'It probably wasn't anything important anyway.' _He turned his head from the wall in front of him to the floor where BDN slept, mouth hanging open as he continued to snore.

Demonte pondered about sticking a sock in his mouth as punishment for ruining his dream, but he decided against it. For the moment there were more considerable matters to be dealt with.

For example, Demonte had caught sight of the other figure in the bed next to his. Demonte cringed at last night's argument between Vash and Meryl and pushed the thought from his mind immediately.

He had also tried to keep Celestia's leaving out of his focus for the moment as well. He stepped around BDN and edged for the door, succeeding, and twisting the knob open. Closing it shut behind him, he padded down the hall until he entered the small lobby. The stairs to the upper level was immediately to his right, but he told himself that staying as far away from the girls' room as possible was the best decision he could make for the moment.

But a silhouette caught his attention from the window leading outside and his feet were thinking before he was.

"Good morning, Sir. I trust you slept well?" The Innkeeper greeted as Demonte rushed by.

"Yes, thank you," Demonte said hurriedly and stepped outside.

The morning air ate away at him, leaving him cold and shivering. But he did not ignore the fact that the figure he had just saw was looking for him.

"You don't miss a beat, do you?" Demonte jumped, startled at the voice. "Are you always this suspicious?"

Demonte turned his head slowly, wrapping his arms around his body, and saw Neil sitting in the bench outside the Inn. Neil, however, did not return the glance. He was too busy staring out into the open road, desolate and empty.

"Neil," Demonte looked at the teenager, who was dressed in a brown trenchcoat, which hung open and revealed his tan shirt underneath. Neil rubbed the bridge of his nose with his brown gloved hand and acknowledged Demonte's presence.

Neil's hair was unkempt, sticking up everywhere and tied back in a short little ponytail. Demonte had hardly recognized him through the mess of hair.

_'He looks like Vash when he first wakes up.'_ Demonte smiled at the thought and began to walk down the small steps until he was footed on the gravel road. Neil swung himself up from the bench and jumped off the porch, landing at Demonte's side.

"What are you now? 21? 22?" Demonte asked.

"Late teens," Was all Neil said. "But I might as well be 20, huh?"

"Stan said you'd already be gone. What are you doing here?" Demonte and Neil began to walk down the road, away from the Inn.

"I came to talk with you," Neil responded. "Boss's orders."

"To talk to me?"

"Yeah. It's business."

Demonte chewed on his bottom lip. "All right, shoot."

"He said to hold off meeting the night you get there. The morning of the plan is when he wants you to bring Vash the Stampede at coordinates 00,34."

"00,34?" Demonte shook the puzzlement from his mind. "Wait, isn't that OUTSIDE of Roklen City?"

"Yeah, that's where the base is being set up. That spy bird thing of Cliff's is keeping the guard out for the Alchemists and the I.T.F. so you'll be able to make it there without interference."

"All right, 00,34. What time?"

"Early. We're talking before sunrise. Or something close to that."

"Why is he changing the plans all of a sudden?" Demonte turned his head to Neil, who was just a head shorter than him.

Neil scuffed his boot against the ground. "He said it was for preparation. Surely the moment you arrive into town, you're not going to be rushing to Rohgsworn's humble abode, are you?" Demonte said nothing. "Your friends would certainly get suspicious."

Demonte thought Neil's words over before he finally agreed. "Preparation, huh? Yeah, I guess that preparation is good."

"You guess?" Neil laughed. "Guessing is what gets you killed, Demonte. Even **I** know THAT!"

Demonte turned, looking the boy over from head to toe. "You're pretty wise for your years, Neil, but don't get too hot-headed. You do know that Vash the Stampede is running the show, right?"

Neil stopped walking. "Do you mean in Roklen or your own fancy little tea party?"

"Both I suppose you could say. Didn't Rohgsworn tell you that he was alive?"

Neil paused. "…No." He said after a moment. "I was too busy taking orders from Stan."

"Yeah, he told me." Demonte caught the spark of fire in Neil's eyes. "Listen, if this is about your parents…"

"Isn't is always?" Neil cut him off. "Yes, my parents were murdered a few years ago. Yes I know that Bandits killed them, and YES I blame Vash the Stampede."

"Don't we all?" Demonte sighed. "While I disagree with your input…"

"You what?" Neil turned sharply, grabbing Demonte's shoulders. "You disagree with _what?_"

Demonte was not intimidated. "I've heard the same thing from Tonis. You know just as well as I do that Vash the Stampede didn't murder your parents."

"Oh really?" Neil mocked. "And just how the HELL can you be so sure?"

Demonte pried Neil's fingers from his cloak. "Don't be stupid. That guy cries over the death of his ENEMIES, Neil. Do you REALLY think that he'd actually have the guts to slaughter your mother and father?" Demonte pushed Neil's hands away from him and waited for the boy's response. "Your parents were killed," Demonte continued when he saw that Neil had no intention of speaking up. "However, you're looking for fault, not the source. Try a little harder next time you try to pin the blame on someone."

"He's an outlaw!" Neil argued. "What makes you so sure of yourself?"

Demonte looked down at him in disbelief. "Have you just not heard what I got through telling you? The Hell's Mafia isn't about who started it. It's about who is man enough to FINISH it."

Neil looked away from Demonte, his mind already made up.

"Whatever," Demonte said. "I can't get through to you anymore. So for the whole part of it, we've had our discussion about Roklen and business. I think it's time we go our own ways."

"Yeah, I think so too," Neil turned, his trenchcoat rippling behind him. "Sorry about raising my tone with you. I just get edgy when my parents are involved."

"I'm surprised you have any feelings whatsoever," Demonte called after him. "Most of Hell's Mafia is comprised of demons anyway."

Demonte hurried up the steps and was readying himself to step back inside the Inn when the front door snapped open and an enraged Meryl stood there, her cheeks flared and enlarged. Her scarlet face and raging eyes were the first things that Demonte had caught sight of, and turning his body, he allowed her to pass by him, storming down the steps and continuing along the road.

"Oh Lord, not again Vash," Demonte muttered as he fled inside, daring to know what had happened NOW. "Vash," Demonte called out to the outlaw as he entered the men's room, only to find it empty.

"Everyone's in the front room," BDN's voice boomed from behind him. "I was just about to go out and look for you. Where were you?"

"Out for a morning walk." Demonte lied. "What happened now? Why is Meryl so upset?"

"Why else?" BDN sighed. "I swear, I'm so close to sending one of them back to Mahogany, it's not even funny. Hell, if they were going to fight like this, they should at LEAST be a bit more flashy about it."

"I hope not in the way I'm thinking." Demonte said.

BDN's body stiffened, his face disgusted. "There you went and ruined my catch phrase, Dem. NO, NOT in the way that you are THINKING." BDN shook his head. "Geez…" BDN sighed. "Anyway, I'm thinking that Meryl is prepping the sand steamer for us, now that she's all steamed at Vash. So we'll be leaving anytime now."

Demonte tensed. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

BDN slapped Demonte's back and led him down the hall. "I'm leaving it up to you to sort out this problem between Mer and Vash, you hear?"

"Ha! I tried that last night. It didn't go so well, BDN, so I think you'll have to find another cadet for the job."

"No, no, you're perfect." BDN assured. "Really, you are."

"Demonte!" Demonte and BDN looked up. The squeal belonged to Jessica, who had latched herself to Vash's arm.

Everyone (Except for Celestia, whom he noted was missing) was sitting around a wooden table in the front room, waiting for Demonte. Milly smiled and handed him a plate full of biscuits and a saucer of butter. Demonte hesitantly took it from her, blinking.

"Sorry it's not really breakfast," She apologized. "But it should be enough for now until we reach Roklen."

"It's fine," Demonte said hastily. "I probably won't even eat very much until we get there anyway." Demonte turned and pointed to Vash. "You. I need to speak with you…in private."

Vash blinked, giving that 'what-did-I-do-this-time?' look, but unlatched himself from Jessica.

"Hey don't take too long, okay!?" BDN hollered after them. "We're leaving right after breakfast!"

"Don't worry," Demonte said over his shoulder. "I won't keep him for too long."

The door slammed shut behind Demonte and Vash in the other room and Demonte jerked suddenly, stopping Vash in his tracks.

"Just what the hell is the matter with you two?" Demonte started, yet his voice remained low and settle. For some reason, Vash would've preferred him to yell. "You fight, you bicker, you can't, for the LIFE of you, get along…" Demonte shook his head. "I can't get Meryl to tell me anything, and now I realize WHY it's none of anyone else's business but your own, but for God's sake Vash, couldn't you at least TRY to avoid confrontation with each other?"

Vash stood there, a blank look on his face.

"You told me you don't have any feelings for her, Vash. I'm assuming that goes for bitter rivalry or enemy behavior as well."

"I don't," Vash remarked. "it's just that whenever she's around, she always causes all these problems…"

"Bullcrap," Demonte interrupted. "Last night that was YOU who started that fight."

Vash's mouth was left agape. He wasn't used to being reprimanded like this, especially by someone who was over a century younger than him.

"You had no business being up there last night and ABSOLUTELY no reason to put in your two cents. If you guys can't handle it, then I'll make sure someone gets sent back to Mahogany. Or Sanction, or even Mordeh. Either way if you both can't work together like a team, then someone's going to wind up dead." Demonte paused. Had he just said all that? _'What the hell am I doing even caring what these morons do with their lives anyway? I should be worrying more about Roklen, not trying to take control of such a stupid matter.'_

"This isn't all just me, you know. You don't know the half of it." Vash's words brought him back to reality.

"I never said that it was all just you and, no, that's true, I don't know the half of your problems. NOR do I care to hear them. I just ask that a resolution be set to this or else I WILL step in." Demonte turned away from him, opening the door. "Since when has Meryl been such a drinker? She didn't appear that way when I first met her." Demonte stopped and turned his head slightly. "Are you sure that this isn't all about you?"

"She what?" Vash choked.

"You mean you didn't know?" Demonte appeared as though he were going to shut the door and step back into the room, but he merely shifted his weight to his back foot and did nothing more.

"Meryl doesn't drink," Vash argued. "That much I do know as long as I've been in contact with her."

"Then you've got a lot to learn buddy," Demonte finally succumbed to shutting the front door, but unexpectedly began to head for the exit. "She's obviously not that old down-to-earth girl you knew from before." Vash followed Demonte outside. "For example, in case you hadn't noticed, she was drunk last night."

Demonte heard the footsteps behind him cease abruptly.

"You're in shock," Demonte told him. "I understand how you feel. That's why you need to get your act together, Vash, because I'll be damned if you're not the source of all her problems."

"I don't know why I would be," Vash said, somewhat sourly. "We've never been good friends."

"People always have ulterior motives," Demonte was working his way down the street now, Vash still frozen on the Inn steps. "There's a lot that you don't know about her."

"And nor do I care to find out about." Vash called out to Demonte. "And just what makes you think that you know all there is to about Meryl anyway? If anything, that should be the opposite in all your best traits."

Demonte halted in the streets. "That's true, I'm not very social. However, that doesn't mean I'm oblivious to everyone's problems either."

And by that time, Demonte was back to walking.

"Everyone will be here soon," Demonte told Meryl, who was busy checking over the sand steamer.

"That's good." She spoke, not facing him.

She had her black sunglasses on, Demonte noted. _'She must've been crying.'_

"Well everything seems to be in order," Meryl said, her voice refusing to hide the slight breaking in it. "We can leave at anytime. Hopefully sometime soon as well."

She turned, brushing past Demonte. "I'll go and get the others."

"Meryl," Demonte followed her out of the sand steamer. "About last night…I owe you an apology. It was wrong of me to pressure you into speaking about such hard matters."

"Don't worry about it," Meryl jumped from the top of the sand steamer, landing neatly on the ground. Demonte mimicked her movements. "You're about the only person who DOES care about what happened. I appreciate your concern."

Meryl was heading back to the Inn.

"But this morning, you stormed out of the Inn so fast, I was certain that it was about last night…"

"No, no," Meryl interrupted. "That moron was just being his usual pitiful self. I was coming down the stairs and he started making these snide comments about me and it sort of escalated from there."

"I guess that's the generalization of everything then," Demonte said. "But that just doesn't seem like Vash, picking fights like that…"

"He doesn't usually, it's just whenever I'm around," The Inn was approaching on the horizon quickly now. "But anyway, I'm going to run along ahead and gather everyone together now. You should probably see Celestia off since she's going to be staying here after all."

Demonte froze. _'That's right isn't it? I haven't even seen her this morning…'_

Half an hour later, the crew had gathered around the sand steamer, double-checking for any errors before the takeoff. Celestia was still nowhere in sight.

"Hey Dem, we can't wait around all day ya know." BDN was hanging off the end of the ladder leading to the front hatch of the engine. "I told you already, I haven't even seen the gal since last night. I'll give it five more minutes and if she doesn't make her flashy 'good-bye' scenario, then I'm calling it quits, all right?"

"Why is it that you aren't somewhat saddened by her departure, BDN?" Demonte asked, a bit disturbed by BDN's gauche remarks. "Surely I thought that you would've been touched at seeing her go. She HAS helped us more than once you know."

"Personally lad, I'm very sad to see the lass go. However, you're talking to Brilliant Dynamites Neon, and Brilliant Dynamites Neon ain't so good with teary good-byes, understand?"

Demonte turned away, leaning against the side of the sand steamer.

"I'll be inside Dem," He heard the hefty man say before the hatch closed shut.

__

'Come on Celestia, where are you?' Demonte chewed the inside of his cheek. The engine was beginning to vibrate within the steel walls of the small automotive. "After all this, she doesn't even come to see us off," Demonte turned, aiming to head inside. "Typical."

Footsteps beating in rhythm to the vibration of the sand steamer began to reverberate in Demonte's ears. As the pounding steps grew, so did Demonte's hopes.

"Waaaaaaait!" Came the girlish cry from someone Demonte knew very well.

"You little bitch," Demonte glared as he hopped down from the ladder. "We were waiting for you all this time and then you decide to stand us up. You honestly don't think I'm going to forgive you for this, do you?"

Celestia stopped, her face flushed as her goldenrod hair lay mattered about her shoulders. Her chest was rising frantically against her crushed black velvet dress as she breathed in deeply.

"I-I was worried I had missed you guys…" She started. "I've been gone all morning…" Her head lowered. "…thinking…"

"Thinking?" Demonte cocked his head to one side. "About what?"

"I…"

"I brought you here just as promised; you should be happy that you're finally getting away from all this turmoil." Then an idea struck Demonte. "Or is this because you know the war that is soon to be?"

"At first it was," Celestia admitted. "But then I realized that I DO trust you."

"Trust me? How can you trust me? I'm working for Hell's Mafia for crying out loud."

"I know you know what you're doing is wrong," Celestia found the strength to lift her head. "You'll fix all of this, right?"

"Maybe."

Celestia lurched forward, pounding a clenched fist against Demonte's chest. "Now you're being an ass. You're probably happy to see me go."

"On the contrary, you couldn't be further from the truth."

Celestia's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I might miss the way you prance your optimistic self around everyone, singing about what a beautiful day it is, even though everyday always looks the same."

"Is that all? Is that ALL you'd miss about me?"

Demonte paused. "Of course not."

Celestia's face brightened as she pulled Demonte into a rib-crushing hug. "Then I'll stay," She whispered.

Demonte was in too much pain to hear what Celestia had just said. His face was turning blue.

"Damn you're strong…Now if you wouldn't mind, before I pass out, could you ease up on the stranglehold a bit?"

Celestia stepped back. "You didn't even hear a WORD I just said, did you?"

"I was in too much pain to notice much of anything else."

"Fine then. I guess I wasn't important enough for you to hear what I just said."

"Did you just not hear me either?"

"You started it," Celestia accused as she stuck her tongue out at Demonte.

"Well if you want to try again under less painful circumstances where I DON'T have to give up a few body parts, then I'm willing to listen."

"That's better then," Celestia stretched her arms wide and embraced Demonte in a less life threatening hug. "I said I'll stay."

Demonte was stunned. "Are you…serious?"

"Why? You don't want me to stay?" Celestia looked up at Demonte.

He slowly and hesitantly returned the hug. "Of course I do…"

_"We'll have a splendid time," She said, twirling the ends of her dress around in the air. "Oh, just wait until your Grandfather gets home, Demonte…"_

That old woman's words pained him, and Demonte automatically began to wrap his arms tighter around Celestia.

"We'll have a splendid time…" Demonte repeated in a deep, low, whisper. "Indeed."

**************************************** 

BLD: Mushy, mushy, huh? Waaaaay out of character for Demonte 

Demonte: -_- 

BLD: ...Are you mad? 

Demonte: Oh no, it looks like I was HOGGING most of the ATTENTION...AGAIN. 

BLD: Demonte, aren't you over that YET? 

Demonte: ::Shoots a nasty glare at BLD:: You expect me to be OVER it!? You hag! 

BLD: ::Facefault:: 

Demonte: Yeah, that's it! We're not friends anymore! 

BLD: Dear Lord, what a loudmouth. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this ::Stares at Demonte:: ...slightly not-so-action-packed-and-boring-chapter. Please R&R so...Demonte thinks that you care. 

Demonte: :: Slamming his fist down upon a table...breaking it in half:: I KNOW they don't care! It's all a conspiracy! All against the guy who hogs ALL the attention! 

BLD: ...As I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted...Please R&R and tell me if you liked it or if it could be better...However I didn't ask for you to tell me that I should die and that my stories suck...even though they probably do lol. 

Demonte: ::To himself:: Popsicles! How did that drunken cur know what I was going to write...? Oh well, I know... :) 

BLD: So I'll see you all again...with HOPEFULLY a sooner update. Until then, my friends.   


BLD 

...And Demonte. 

Demonte: ^_^   



	24. All Hell Breaks Loose

****

Disclaimer: Don't own stuff.

****

A/N: Yeah it's about time I got off my lazy butt and put the story up. Here's the turning point in the story– – The truth at Roklen. Hope you like.

****

Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty-Three

All Hell Breaks Loose

'I had a dream that I could fly

I can feel each moment as time goes by

We'd never be too far away

You would always be here, I heard you say

I never thought

Thought that this would be our last goodbye

I still can dream

The one day love will fall out from the sky

Do you still remember

All the time that has gone by?

Do you still believe that

Love can fall out from the sky?

(If you still believe– – in love, in me…do you believe?)'

-Legend Of Dragoon (Lyrics from 'If You Still Believe')

Vash yawned as he woke from his nap in the corner of the small sand steamer. The automotive was still pulsating against his back, proving it to still be in motion. He reached behind him and fluffed the pillow that had been comforting him and snuggled deeper into the cloth. The room was dark, full of several beds, though not enough for everyone, but he couldn't handle sleeping in a bed right now. The bed at the inn had been too much for him to bear, tearing his back up after a night of tossing and turning. So the corner was just fine with him.

He closed his eyes, ready to resume sleeping. He knew he had to be prepared when he saw his brother and he was surprised that he could sleep at all with such a heavy burden resting on him.

He, too, was afraid about the consequences for bringing his friends along for the ride. Knives was vicious, he knew, and he wouldn't hesitate for one moment to slaughter all of his friends around him.

"Mr. Vash are you awake?" That was abrupt. Vash hadn't even heard the door open. But he had recognized the voice of the taller ex-Insurance Girl.

"No," He replied groggily.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" Milly clapped her hands together and walked in, her green cloak swaying around her feet. "I brought you some sandwiches. Meryl and I made them."

"Anything that the smaller _Insurance Girl_ makes is bound to be poisonous," He shifted his body to adjust to the comfort of the pillow. "I'm not hungry."

Milly purposely ignored that remark. "They're your favorite Mr. Vash. Salmon sandwiches."

"Oh?" Vash opened one eye, suddenly interested. "Well…if YOU helped make them, I might consider eating them."

She handed the plate to Vash and he immediately sat up and looked the plate over, deciding which slice he was going to consume first.

Milly smiled as she sat herself down on the floor across from him. "Well now that I've got your attention, can we talk Mr. Vash?"

"About what?" Vash didn't bother to bite into the sandwich. Instead, he just inhaled it in one big gulp.

"I…" Milly looked away from him. "I realize that you don't…like us anymore."

"Whatever gave you that impression?" Milly couldn't tell if he was being sincere or snide.

"You hardly ever talk to us, you put up a big stink if you have to be within a two-square radius of us," Vash looked up at her briefly. "You and Meryl always fight."

"The Insurance Girl and I always fought."

"You won't even call her by her first name anymore, Mr. Vash." Milly objected.

"You call me 'Mr. Vash'." Vash countered, politely.

Milly sat there on the floor, unmoving. "Do you hate us…Vash?"

Vash hardly noticed that she hadn't used 'Mister' in his name. He paused before answering this. "I don't hate anyone," He said as he resumed eating. "However, I DO dislike people."

"Well then…do you dislike us?" There was a long hiatus in the conversation and Milly knew that Vash had no intention of answering her question. "Meryl…doesn't hate you…Vash."

"What about you?" Vash asked, someone nonchalantly, eager to get off the subject of Meryl.

Milly shook her head. "I could never hate you. I don't hate anyone."

"Well then," Vash licked his lips, savoring the taste of the sandwiches. "Do you dislike me?"

"No," Milly replied.

"Because I never could really tell after you guys took off when I left."

Milly cringed. So, he was still perturbed about this, was he?

"We went out to look for you," Milly protested softly.

"But you girls always managed to find me. Why couldn't you this time?" Milly stayed silent. She had no answer.

"But you always took off and never came back even though Meryl was so worried about you…"

"But I had my reasons back then and you knew it."

Milly's mouth hung agape, words failing her. "I…I know Vash, but…but this time, Meryl insisted that we find you and…"

"But you DIDN'T find me."

"Yes, but…"

"What do you think would've happened if I went back there and found you all gone? Which, of course, is exactly what happened."

Milly couldn't stop the tears from welling in her eyes or hold back the lump forming in her throat. "We didn't abandon you, Mr. Vash…"

"There you go, calling me 'Mister Vash' again," He handed the empty plate back to Milly. "Thanks for the sandwiches, Insurance Girl. They really were rather quite good."

Milly refused to end the conversation. "Can't we…can't we be friends again…Vash?"

Vash sighed softly, and turned his gaze to the floor. Milly wiped her eyes and arose to her feet. "Then it's true what Meryl said…you really don't want to see us again after all of this, right?" She backed up towards the door, her gaze remaining solely on Vash. "I wish you'd forgive Meryl, Vash. I wish you'd put aside all those bitter feelings towards us just to listen to our side of the story."

"That's not so easy, Insurance Girl," Vash responded. "You're asking me to forget four years of pain and sorrow. Scars don't mend that easily."

"I don't want you to forget it," Milly slowly opened the door. "I just want you to put those four years aside temporarily…just until you've heard what Meryl has to say. Even if you hate me, Vash…"

"I don't hate you," Vash interrupted.

"Then you hate Meryl…" Milly finally pulled her gaze away from Vash and spun around on her heel. "And you can't hate Meryl without hating me too." And with that, she left.

Vash sat in that same position for a few moments longer, running the conversation over in his mind.

_'Maybe I should give them a chance…' _Vash's eyes saddened. _'Hatred breeds only hatred and I'm certain that they wouldn't have abandoned me intentionally. It just never seemed to be in their nature.'_ Vash leaned backwards into the pillow.

"Even if Meryl and I fight, I know that deep down she could never hurt anyone…like I used to be…" Vash chewed on his bottom lip. "I've hardened so much over the last few years. What's happened to me? Have I really changed so much?"

Meryl downed her third shot of Wild Turkey, while sitting in the small bar located to the left of the dining room of the sand steamer. Cozy as it was, she still couldn't shake that lonely feeling from creeping into the room. She almost slammed the glass down on the table, a slight buzz overtaking her.

_'What's wrong with me?' _She nuzzled her cheek with her forearm, her hand still holding the crystal glass. _'I never used to let him get to me like this. I never used to drink like this ever.'_

"Drinking again?"

Meryl sighed. "You need to stop showing up at the right times, Demonte."

"There's nothing we can do but wait until we get to Roklen. It's only another half-hour drive, yes?"

"Yeah, but you should be up there baby-sitting Brilliant. I doubt he's intelligent enough to know what he's doing."

"Well, he's gotten us this far." Demonte took a seat next to Meryl and pulled the shot glass from her hand. He observed it and nodded. "This is really petty of you."

"And what? You never drink?"

"Of course I drink. Just not over reasons that I have no control of." Demonte looked at Meryl. "This isn't like you. This is just something you've recently acquired along the way, Meryl. Where's the strong-willed woman I know?"

"This may come to you as a surprise Demonte, but I've been a drinker for a few years now."

Demonte shook his head. "You're a fool for letting the past get to you. And human emotions."

Meryl began to drum her fingertips against the counter. "It's not just him you know."

Demonte laughed. "You're worried about Roklen?"

"Is it so funny?"

"No but I just don't understand it. What's the reason?"

"A big war is about to take place Demonte. A man that I supposedly knew four years ago is our enemy. And people are going to die."

"That's usually what happens in wars, Meryl."

"You're not the slightest bit worried?"

Demonte shook his head. "Meryl we ARE in a continuous war. All these little fights are nothing compared to the war that we are engaged in now. It's a fight for survival, not Roklen."

Meryl agreed absent-mindedly. She was too busy concentrating on the half-empty bottle of Wild Turkey sitting on the counter next to her.

"Get up Meryl," Demonte said. "And stop drinking. There are still people who need you." Demonte handed the shot glass back to Meryl and stood up.

"It's not that easy," Meryl muttered before Demonte could leave.

"What?"

"It's not that easy," She repeated. "to be so strong."

"Only to those who are incapable of trying," He responded.

Roklen appeared on the horizon, the small and quaint city cutting through the fog. Demonte stood, staring outside as a piquant aroma came into the room.

"I smell food!" Milly bounced into the dining room where Demonte was and smiled. "Mr. Demonte do you smell it too?"

"I would be mistaken if I said 'no'," Demonte arched his body slightly to meet Milly's gaze. "Who _is_ cooking, anyway?"

"In here!" Came from the small kitchen across from the dining room and where Milly and Demonte were standing.

"Jessica," Demonte grinned slightly. "What are you cooking?" He called to her.

"Just some snacks," She responded in between the noise of the beaters. "I think we deserve it. After all, there won't be any time for resting once we arrive, right?"

"No, I guess not," Demonte agreed.

"Once BDN pulls into the city, let's all sit down and eat!" Milly suggested.

"Like what? A Last Supper type of thing?" Demonte turned to Milly.

Milly frowned. "Well no…I was thinking more of a Good Luck dinner…"

"Sounds good," Demonte said. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to attend."

"Why not?" Milly's face turned from a frown to one of a 'let down' kind of look.

"Because someone needs to go and find an inn." Demonte answered.

"And some of us need to head into Roklen on important matters," Meryl's figure haunted the doorway from the bar. "Isn't that right, Jessica?" She called into the kitchen.

Everyone could hear Jessica sigh. "Do we have to Meryl?"

"You know we do. You, me, and BDN."

"Then what's everyone else supposed to do, Meryl?" Milly asked.

"You, Demonte and the others go and find an inn. We'll catch up with you later."

Demonte stiffened. _'Important matters? Other than finding Knives? …What on Earth is she talking about…?'_

Demonte, Celestia, Milly, and Vash were left at the steps of the sand steamer as Meryl, Jessica, and BDN took off into town.

"Well that was fun," Vash yawned and stretched. "So now what?"

"We find an inn," Celestia told him. "And wait for those three to come back."

"What about Mr. Knives?" Milly inquired. "Or those men from the ruins?"

"Don't worry about them right now," Demonte said, peering through the fog and down the street where his companions had earlier disappeared. "They'll find us."

"I agree," Vash said. "So I'll stand guard first. The Insurance Girl said that there should be an inn at the end of town here."

"It's nearing nightfall," Milly shivered. "How will they find us?"

"It's the only inn in town, Milly," Celestia smiled. "And besides, it's MERYL. She can't get lost."

"That's true," Demonte chuckled. "Even if you wanted her to."

The Innkeeper was an elderly man who owned the hotel with his wife. As he was checking Demonte and the others in, he proceeded to tell everyone about the big event in the square for the next day that had something to do with 'The Half-Eagle Alchemists' and 'stopping the Dark Ages'.

Demonte frowned as he continued to listen to this man babble on (Milly, of course, was very eager to hear more and told him so) but signed in and eventually pried everyone away from the old man to head upstairs where two rooms were set and ready for them.

Milly and Celestia fell at ease in their rooms as Vash stuck true to his word and went outside to stand guard. Demonte was left alone in the room to tend to his own thoughts.

"I can't wait this long…" He said, pacing back and forth in the room. "I can't wait until daybreak. I have to see him now." Demonte spotted a window in the back of the room, shutters bolted tightly to it and then breathed in deeply. "00, 34," Demonte muttered as he grabbed hold of a chair and thrust it into the window.

The shutters fell to the floor after a few beatings and Demonte effortlessly tossed the chair aside and unlatched the window. He hopped onto the windowsill and looked out into the foggy night.

He was two-stories up.

Carelessly he leapt out into the night, cloak fluttering as he remained airborne for a moment longer and landed almost weightlessly on the ground. He was behind the building now, too far for Vash to even notice that he had climbed out. He would be too occupied looking for a non-existent man anyhow.

All right, well maybe not non-existent but he wasn't in the town now was he?

Demonte, high on the tips of his toes, scurried away, over the rocky plains, outside of the city. Demonte did not need a map to find out where he was going. He had excellent night-vision and a good sense of direction. Finally he stopped on top of a dune of sand, the wind stirring him.

Demonte looked around and then paused. He shuffled forward, the sand closing in around his feet.

"You didn't stick to the plan." Cigar smoke. Demonte could smell it from far off.

"I know. I didn't like your plan." Demonte turned slightly to meet the tall gruff man. "I am in need of advice."

"You're not in a confessional, Demonte," Demonte traced the smoke rings to the far-off plains, but the body was even closer. Rohgsworn's body dissembled with every step. "What do you want?"

"I know what is going to happen tomorrow. I know that innocent people are going to die."

Demonte realized that Rohgsworn was not paying attention to him, but to the foggy sky.

"It is a beautiful night, no?" Rohgsworn smiled.

"It's the same every night. There is no moon; there is no dawn or dusk. Just fog." Demonte shrugged.

"The sun does not exist Demonte. It's only something that we've heard about––read about. That does not mean that it exists."

"I still don't know why you're after the Alchemists." Demonte almost shuddered against the night's chill.

"The Alchemists have the power to destroy this world," Rohgsworn explained. "It is us, the Hell's Mafia, who keep that in order. Without us, the Alchemists could have their way with the world, manipulating their plate as they like." Rohgsworn puffed off of his cigar, which luminous in the night sky. "Have you ever thought of a restaurant, Demonte? How you could always pick and choose whatever cuisine you desired? If you wanted lamb that night, you could have lamb. If you wanted to discard the corn, you were free to do as you wished."

"Pickers and choosers, eh?" Demonte stood from his place on the lone dune, staring over the city below, the fog lingering over the central part of the city. "You never put it that way before."

"Demonte, what is it that you want from me?" Rohgsworn followed Demonte's gaze out onto the open horizon. "Why have you deliberately disobeyed me and come here?"

"You knew I'd come," Demonte responded. "That's why you were waiting here."

"True," Rohgsworn nodded slightly. "I did."

"I don't want you to hurt my friends."

"You refer to them as 'friends'?" Rohgsworn's lips curled into a tight smile. "'Friends', Demonte?"

"I know that you want Vash the Stampede to aid you in exterminating the Alchemists, however…"

"If you remember correctly," Rohgsworn cut him off. "It was your idea back at the Enora Precipice to bring him here. That's why you've traveled with them, isn't that so?"

Demonte paused, unsure of how to respond. "I'm just asking…please, our only objective is the Alchemists and the I.T.F., Rohgsworn, not my companions."

"You have my solemn word that nothing…bad, shall we say, will happen to your companions. Whether it is their choice to interfere is strictly up to how much of a dent you engrave on them…warning them, Demonte."

Demonte remained silent. His stomach churned with such sickness. "This isn't like me."

"I know…I know. That's why I took you in sixteen years ago, Demonte. To HELP you." Rohgsworn lightly patted Demonte's shoulder and turned away from him. "Get some sleep Demonte…you'll need it."

Demonte could not sleep that night. Terrible visions of a premeditated prophecy haunted him as he tossed and turned for several hours in the bed. 

Meryl and the others still weren't back.

Demonte stared down the lengthy bed and suddenly felt guilty. Vash was still outside, keeping watch. For what? For nothing.

And what would the morning bring? Blazing fires, scarlet streets of human bloodshed, and the heads of the Alchemists.

Dawn finally fed through the broken window from the previous night as the fog suffocated the sun from the morning's light. Demonte's chest went numb as a weight fell on him, ten fold of what he was feeling before.

Drowsily, he pushed himself up from the bed, reached for his revolver, and prepared for the worst.

"Vash," Demonte nudged the sleeping man lightly. The body was cold from the air's touch. "Vash wake up…" Vash stirred, but slowly opened his eyes, as though he hadn't been asleep at all.

"Is it morning already?" Vash asked, looking down at his colt.

"You need to come with me," Demonte urged. "Meryl and the others still aren't back."

"What?" Vash became alarmed. "You mean something bad has happened to them?"

"No," Demonte quickly responded. "They aren't back, but that doesn't mean that they won't return soon."

Vash relaxed. "What's that have to do with where you want me to go?"

"I found something important; I think you should see it."

Vash tensed up again. "What? Does it have to do with the men at the ruins? Knives?"

Demonte didn't answer the question directly. "You need to come with me," He repeated.

Vash obliged, still feeling somewhat confused. Demonte jumped from the porch and began on a slow jog that soon escalated into a quick-paced run. Vash, still groggy, only fell behind Demonte slightly.

"Where's it at?" Demonte heard Vash ask.

"Outside of town," Demonte answered, trying to keep his thoughts focused.

Demonte followed the same path he had taken before. It was quicker and easier to find in the daytime for a second time around, but it did not ease the emotions in Demonte's soul.

"Where is it?" Vash asked after a few minutes of running.

Demonte halted and pointed up at the same dune he and Rohgsworn had stood on the night before. "Up there," Demonte whispered, adapting to a different persona. "Why don't you take a look while I keep a close watch down here."

Vash hesitantly glanced up the dune, suspicions targeting him at all sides. "What exactly am I looking at Demonte?"

"I think it's their hideout," Demonte lied. "But I can't be too sure. No one was there when I last checked but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

Vash nodded, not feeling fully convinced, but carefully started up the dune. Demonte edged his way down the hillside, still keeping his eyes on Vash, who continued walking towards the peak of the dune.

Vash held his finger on the trigger, leaning down on all fours and gave a thorough reconnaissance of the top before crawling over the edge.

Demonte's fingers curled into a fist and turned away, sprinting back towards town as fast as he had left, regret seeping within him.

Vash was busy scanning the range of other dune tops, the fog blinding him moderately.

"Demonte," He called down to where he had left the shady man. "What do you see?"

Then he heard the cocking of a gun and the steel barrel being placed to the back of his head.

"Checkmate," Came a cool voice.

Vash flipped over onto his stomach, gun aimed at the hostile figure, and then he squinted.

…Rohgsworn…

Demonte's lungs burned for oxygen as he gritted his teeth together and roughly turned a corner in the street. He stopped short as he found himself in the town's square, men and women all gathered around, staring into the center. Celestia and Milly were holding up in the back of the crowd, their distraught faces overseeing the figures in the center.

These people, faces that were both familiar and unfamiliar to Demonte, remained intransigent in the street, some staring intently at Demonte while others chose to ignore his presence.

Governess Stefany, Badwick, Ingway, Jean, Marvin, and all the other figures he had met along the way were held in the crowd. Even BDN, his face hardened and determined, towered over the people in the crowd.

"What's going on!?" Demonte shouted as he approached the hefty man. "BDN where have you been? What's going on? Why is everyone standing here in the middle of town!?"

Finally, some emotion fed back into BDN's face. "Where's Vash?" He asked.

"He went to go look for you," Demonte lied. "Listen, we can't stay here, the men from the ruins are here and they have weapons…"

"Demonte!" Demonte trailed off as he turned to another voice.

Meryl.

"Meryl!" Demonte pushed his way through the crowd to the center of the square where he saw Meryl, Doc, Elizabeth, and two other people he didn't recognize standing in a circle formation. "Meryl, we have to get out of here. Those people…!"

Meryl grabbed Demonte by the shoulders. "You wanted to know what was on my mind earlier Demonte. You wanted to know why I was so scared about going to Roklen…"

"Yeah, and…?"

"There's something that we need to tell you…" Meryl took a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of the Half-Eagle Alchemists and the Insurrection Task Force?"

"Of course," Demonte affirmed, still remaining oblivious as to what was so germane in this roundabout conversation. "Everyone knows about them."

Meryl pried deeper into herself to find the strength to continue. "And you know about their project here in Roklen, yes?"

Suddenly, Demonte didn't like this game of '20 questions' anymore. "Where's this going?" His brows knitted together.

Meryl closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. How would she know how this was going to affect him?

"Demonte…we are those Alchemists."

"…What…?" Demonte choked out.

"The reason why I am called Henai is because I exhumed the Henai ruins a few years ago." Meryl clutched his shoulder, more fiercely this time. "We are the Half-Eagle Alchemists." 

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Oh pooh…Now where is this going to lead? R&R please and let me know what you think. I'll be honest with everyone now; I haven't really had the energy to continue the story due to lack of time and enthusiasm but if things start picking up now that the story is out in the open and no longer dragging out, I may reconsider and start writing this story again. But it's all up to you guys. Thanks for your support.

BLD

Oh, and Demonte's sulking right now and doesn't want to talk to anyone (Especially after he was hit with that big blow about the Alchemists. Poor Demonte) but he says 'hi'. ^_^


	25. Failure

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Disclaimer: Don't own…things…

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A/N: Computer crashed and took everything I had with it. Sorry for the delay but I'm always late anyway, aren't I? Summer is coming up so huzzah for that.

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Engel: Sacrifice

Chapter Twenty-Four

Failure

__

'I wake from a nightmare now

In the day it haunts me

It slowly tears me apart

With dreams of a distant love

I'm a wandering satellite

Somewhere in the wasteland

I see you smiling at me

A vision out of my dreams

Will everything change?

Take the pain away

Lead me with your light

Heading for the sun

Leave the sadness behind

Crossing oceans dry

Yeah'

– Final Fantasy Spirits Within (Lyrics from Sprit Dreams Inside)

Demonte's body froze in horror. The people…the people he was sent here to kill was…

…Them…?

All this time…how could he be so ignorant not to see it!? How could he be so blind!? He felt lied to, cheated, something precious and valuable stolen from him. This wasn't happening, he convinced himself. This wasn't real. How COULD it be real!?

"…What…?" Was all he could manage to say. His arm trembled as he brought it up to his holster. Then as fast as the horror had hit him, sudden rage filled within him and he drew his black revolver, holding it at Meryl's head.

She gasped, stepping back only minimally.

"You? YOU'RE the Alchemists!?" He turned his head to look at his so-called 'friends'. _'Why them?' _He asked himself. _'Why did it have to be them?'_ "And all of you cheap bastards over there are the Insurrection Task Force, aren't you!?"

"Demonte…" Doc had stepped forward, but the gun in Demonte's hand held him back.

"Stay back or else this bitch gets it!" Demonte cocked the gun, pushing it closer to Meryl's forehead. He turned back to Meryl, his breath becoming heavy. It fell against her face like the fog that enveloped that very planet. "You want to know who I am, Meryl?" He hissed. "I am your worst nightmare. I am the man who has been haunting you and your 'Granus Team' for the past four years. I am from Hell, a Mafia that you should have already heard of." He took pleasure from seeing the fright on Meryl's face. "I am here to KILL you…"

"Demonte," She shook her head. "Listen to me, whatever has happened…"

"Nothing's happened!" He spat. "This was all planned from the start! Why do you think that I drug you all to Roklen under the assumption that KNIVES was running this show?"

Meryl became paralyzed. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest.

"But I surprised you, JUST like you surprised me," Demonte said. "And regardless of whatever kind of friendship developed between us before, I have to kill you now. It's my job."

The finger on the trigger tightened as Meryl's breathing matched Demonte's. BDN stood in the background with the rest of the I.T.F., unsure of what was going to happen.

But the moment was broken as a large wave of fire came blazing from down the street, turning buildings to ashes.

"Watch out everyone!" Doc pulled his attention away from Demonte and Meryl for one moment as he jumped to the front of the crowd, his small arms outstretched. His brown robe rippled behind him as a large zephyr began to spin into the center of the city.

Everyone shielded their eyes from the typhoon as Doc gritted his teeth, ignoring the severe storm. The terrified crowd watched as the fire edged closer, consuming the city streets and then collided with the tornado. The flames became caught up in the wind, circling around its target but never striking directly. Then all at once the flames disappeared, and the wind died down shortly afterwards.

"Hocus Pocus and other magic tricks." A voice cut through the fog like a knife as a body strode towards them. "How pathetic."

Demonte took the gun away from Meryl's head and followed the gaze of everyone else. As the figure approached, he realized he recognized the man standing in front of them.

"That's the man from the bar…" Demonte whispered hoarsely.

There he stood with his striking silver hair, his dazzling gold colt, his slick black trench coat, and his blood-coated glasses. This man held an eerie aura, one that Demonte seemed to know well.

"You!" BDN withdrew his Dynamos and aimed it at the man. "You escaped once, but not this time!"

The man chuckled, and held his pale face in his hand. "You amuse me. Certainly you're not lead to misbelieve the stupendous power I hold, do you?"

BDN's face remained unchanged.

"Very well then," The man laughed. "Then perhaps I should show you."

"Who are you!?" The voice belonged to Jessica, her blue cloak standing out through the crowd.

"Names mean nothing to me," The man laughed. "They are so insignificant. However if you must know, I will tell you. I am Vash the Stampede, in my true sinister form."

Every face in the crowd emulated each other's reactions like one big mime. The man who had dubbed himself 'Sinister Vash' stalked forward, his hand on the butt of his golden colt. A long knife had been welded on the end of the gun, sharp as a razor. But his coat matched that of Vash the Stampede's, down to the last button. However this man's coat was Cimmerian and his golden buttons mesmerized the crowd. His eyes were concealed behind his circular red glasses, and silver strands fell into his eyes as the rest was pushed back into a spiky bush of hair.

Could this man possibly be Vash the Stampede?

The hand that held the Dynamos trembled with fury and uncontrollable anger. BDN's eyes narrowed, but his concentration was clouded. "Sinister Vash my ass! Who the hell are you REALLY, you poser!?"

"I am just who I said I was," Sinister Vash continued to walk towards them. "There is no such thing as a 'poser' as you call it. You all are one thing…and that is extinct, just like the man you call 'Vash the Stampede'. He is I and I am him."

"Where is Vash then!?" The voice belonged to Badwick, who was wedged in between Jessica and another man wearing a ragged brown cloak with shaggy brown hair.

"He stands before you," Sinister Vash replied. "In a new shape and in a new form. But NOT as the man you once knew."

"Shut up!" BDN charged to the front of the crowd. "I've had enough of your lies! You die now you bastard!"

"Brilliant, stop!" Ingway and Jean both barricaded BDN's path, pushing him back.

Sinister Vash merely chuckled. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. And THIS is the Granus Resistance Party? A bunch of pathetic whims such as yourselves?" Sinister Vash drew his colt. "I'll have the pleasure of killing you all."

Doc turned back to Demonte, who still had Meryl by the arm, but the gun was held loosely at his side. Doc knew that this man called 'Sinister Vash' could not be beaten without strategy and if it was true that there were others lurking about…

Doc's thoughts were interrupted as more gunshots reverberated in the air. Eyes were turned in several directions, stunned.

They had been ambushed.

"Hell yeah!" Came a loud and booming voice from in the distance. Demonte instantly recognized the voice as Descartes. Behind him came Tonis, Loose Ruth, and Stan. Opposite of where they were coming came three more members of the Hell's Mafia.

"Good job in distracting them while we got here," Loose Ruth tipped his hat to Sinister Vash.

"I didn't do anything for you," Sinister Vash snorted. "I had planned on killing them myself." Neil followed in behind Loose Ruth.

Then a thunderous boom echoed across the plains as the ever-so-large Nebraska Family circled the I.T.F. and Alchemists from all sides.

"And here we come to save the day!" Sang a female voice who sat from atop a monster of a woman. Ringlets of blonde hair hung into her eyes as she wore a body hugging black dress, which ended just above her thighs. (If it was any shorter, it could've been a belt.) A long green cloak flowed behind her as the monstrous woman chugged through the city, demolishing buildings and any other sorts of obstruction in her way.

"Well now, where have I seen this picture before?" Came a familiar voice from the other monstrous figure coming from the opposite end of the massive woman and the girl. It was none other than the Professor, the red spectacle hanging from his eye. "Ah yes! The Enora Precipice right?"

Meryl gritted her teeth. How could this happen? Why did things end so badly?

Several more unfamiliar members of Hell's Mafia stood around the Alchemists and the I.T.F., pushing them all into the center.

"This is splendid," Rohgsworn puffed off the end of his cigar as he finally entered the scene, Cliff Schzzarre trailing behind. He glanced past the crowd and to the short man in the center. It was Doc. "The cat and the mouse, no? This scene seems awfully familiar to that scenario…"

Doc looked back at the tall leader of Hell's Mafia.

"So where do you have to run now, my precious Alchemists? Although it was not easy to find you, I will admit that it was ALL TOO EASY capturing you…"

Doc closed his eyes, sending himself deep into his subconscious. He found the power to communicate telepathically, a skill that only he could do and could not be done by anyone else unless he provoked the power first.

_"We're surrounded…"_ Doc sent the message to Meryl.

_"I know," _She responded as he sent his power to her. _"But all is not lost."_

"Of course not," He nodded slightly, not daring to turn to face her. _"There's an underground aircraft under this city. However, getting to the underground base may prove to be a tad tricky."_

"Then how can we do it?" Meryl glanced around to the other three Alchemists, Elizabeth being among them. _"It's big enough for everyone right?"_

"Of course," Doc responded. _"There's only fifteen of us here."_

Meryl paused for the moment. Rohgsworn was still taking in the satisfaction of 'capturing' everyone. _"Let's start a commotion then. Then we'll tell everyone to head west." _Meryl looked left and then grimaced. _"But the Nebraska family is over there."_

"Marilyn or the Professor?"

"The Professor and Gofsef."

"Leave them to me."

Meryl nodded. _"All right, on the count of three then…"_

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

Meryl turned to look at Demonte. "Sorry about this, Demonte." Demonte looked down at her as she brought her knee up and thrust it into his crotch.

"GUH!" Demonte doubled over, crumpling to the ground. Meryl turned to the Alchemists as she grabbed her gun and held it high above her head.

"Goshu etna xifon muryu fairca e odru!" Meryl shouted to the Alchemists in a foreign tongue as she turned, her right arm glowing.

"What?" Badwick turned to one of the Alchemists.

"She wants us to head to the underground base!" The Alchemist female with blonde hair told him. "Everyone move!"

All guns were withdrawn from their holsters and quickly the crowd was heading west. Doc turned to the Professor and Gofsef and began to chant a spell. Another large vortex began to develop and swirl around the square.

"Follow me!" Ingway shouted to the men and women behind him.

"What the hell?" Stan's mouth was left agape as a stampede of men and woman began to storm left. Stan reached for his gun and aimed it at the Alchemists.

Elizabeth, her purple cloak rippling behind her, began to make shapes with her hands in the air. Her long violet dress swayed around her ankles as she closed her eyes.

The wind around the Alchemists suddenly intensified and thunder flashed in the sky.

Elizabeth finally opened her eyes and faced left, her loose green hair flailing behind her. Another man, clothed in a dark gray cloak stood back to back with Elizabeth, lightning surging up and down his body.

"We make a flashy duo, eh Azayla?" The man chuckled, his back still pressed against hers.

"Never mind the bloodshed, Rhetrah," She said, droplets of water beginning to form in her hands. "We have to create an illusion so that our comrades may escape. As the Alchemists of Granus, we are sworn to protect our allies." She turned her head slightly. "Water conducts electricity," She hinted.

The man named 'Rhetrah' temporarily tuned himself to the gunfire and shouting in the streets. Then the sound of the vortex caught his attention. "And with Keahnu's power, it will be the perfect diversion."

"All right, we've got ourselves a plan." Elizabeth watched as the droplets spun themselves into a much larger pool of water.

Meryl dashed past the stampeding crowd back towards Rohgsworn. _'Nothing can be resolved unless he dies.' _ Her body temperature was rising as sweat trailed down her face. Dark energy materialized around her right arm and began to migrate up and over her shoulder.

"Get them!" Tonis ordered to his comrades as he engaged himself in the battle. Loose Ruth stood in the back, aiming his revolving rifle at random members of the I.T.F.

Ingway was in the front, maneuvering his way around the gunfire, his own gun in hand. He was halted in his footsteps as the mighty Nebraska family barricaded his path.

"And just where do you think you're going!?" The Professor peered over the hold that kept him attached to Gofsef's upper body.

"Crap," Ingway muttered as Jessica and Badwick reached his side.

_"Take cover!"_ BDN roared from in the background as he dropped to the ground, shielding his head.

The other members of the I.T.F. quickly mimicked his actions as the wind began to pick up in celerity and the lightning became much more deadly. The maelstrom within the Town Square brought the gunfire to an abrupt stop as the tsunami that had been formed at the hands of Elizabeth melded with the spinning cyclone.

Everything from loose debris to whole buildings were caught up in the swirling torrent and it was almost impossible for the allies on the ground not to get sucked in as well. The man in the gray cloak still stood by Elizabeth, electric currents still playing on his fingertips.

Thunderous quaking erupted from within the planet's crust as bolts of the deadly lightning shot from the ground like geysers and it sent a majority of Hell's Mafia fleeing from their current position.

Meryl still stood only several feet away from Rohgsworn, her body illuminant with fire and purple lightning.

"It's no good, Sir," Cliff told his leader. "We have to pull back. None of us can match their Forbidden Magicks just yet."

"They're just placating us," Rohgsworn's eyes darkened. And then an evil smirk played upon his face. "Of course, we _could _slaughter them if we'd like to." His eyes drifted to Sinister Vash, who stood unmoving like a puppet waiting to be commanded. "But that would be too easy now, wouldn't it?" His gaze fell back to Cliff. "We know who the Alchemists and the I.T.F. are now and what a marvelous thing that it turned out to be Demonte's only 'friends'. It's the pain of living that makes us prey upon the weak and not feel any remorse."

"Then what?" Cliff asked.

"Call everyone back to the base outside of town. This is an unnecessary fight to be fought, especially since they had a backup plan all along. We'll send for the main forces and attack Granus all at once."

"What about him?" Cliff gestured to Sinister Vash.

"Battle-talk should be saved for important things Cliff," Rohgsworn said as he turned away, retreating from the battlefield. "I know where he is now. It won't do him any good to run. So just leave him there. After they abandon him, he too will know the pain of living."

Cliff stepped back slightly, and nodded across the battlefield to Descartes, who frowned.

"What's he doing?" Tonis asked.

"He wants us to pull back," Descartes answered as he began to retreat from the battlefield. "Rohgsworn's orders."

"But why!?" Tonis argued. "We have those magic-dealing Alchemists right where we want them!"

"We have no right to question Rohgsworn's orders," Loose Ruth laid down his revolver and patted Tonis' back. "Just do as you're told."

"What?" Meryl watched as one by one, the enemy began to retreat back to the hills. "What are they doing…?"

"Henai!" Meryl turned her head. BDN was struggling against the wind to get to her. "They're pulling back! Let's get to the base!"

"But what about them!?" She gestured to the retreating Mafia. "We can't just let them go!"

BDN watched as her dark aura died down with his distraction and found it as a window of opportunity. He quickly snatched her arm and began to yank her towards the underground base. "If they're retreating then it's the perfect excuse to get the hell out of here."

"But what about Vash!?" She pulled against him. "We can't just leave him!"

"If it's true what 'Sinister Vash' said, then he's one of them, Mer!" BDN looked back at her. "We can't dawdle around any longer Meryl! And as a member of the I.T.F. it's my duty to protect the Alchemists. Are you going to make me go to drastic measures to ensure your safety!?"

Meryl's eyes became moist and she slowly shook her head. "But that can't be Vash…It just can't be…"

BDN didn't have the patience to wait around any longer. "Meryl these emotional problems of yours need to cease. We're in a war dammit!" BDN abruptly stooped forward and picked Meryl up effortlessly, tossing her over his back.

The Nebraska family that had once barricaded the way of the I.T.F. had been temporarily distracted by the maelstrom, as Gofsef's mobile stability could not endure the cyclone being pushed against him. Overheated, the monster toppled backwards and landed on all fours, protecting him and his father from the storm.

"Onwards!" Ingway pushed his comrades forward as he watched the Nebraska Family closely, wary of their actions even still. BDN was the last to pass Ingway, Meryl still hanging over his shoulder, thrashing about.

"LET ME GO BRILLIANT! I WON'T JUST LEAVE HIM BEHIND AGAIN!" Meryl screamed at the hefty man. Her gun was still in her hand.

"That's the last of them," BDN told Ingway. "Now let's get out of here while those maniacs are still distracted by Keahnu's storm."

Ingway nodded and caught eye of the black Taurus. "Don't be reckless Meryl," He said as he grabbed the gun out of her hand.

"You agree with him too, don't you?" Meryl shot him a deadly glare.

Ingway ignored her and he started up the hill, BDN on his heels.

Ingway shut the hatch behind him after the three entered the underground base.

"They're most probably waiting for us on the aircraft," BDN said.

By now, Meryl had calmed down and was lying like dead weight against BDN's back. Ingway caught sight of her melancholy face and it pained him so. She was always such a determined, upbeat woman. But ever since she was reunited with Vash…

…Well, he had more important matters to concentrate on now.

The underground base was not so large, just very deep. BDN and Ingway continued down the spiraling staircase, leading further and further down below. Time dragged on for seconds…minutes…and it even seemed like hours.

"Damn you Demonte," BDN finally muttered under his breath. "You stupid traitor…"

"We should've known it all along," Ingway huffed as he rapidly hopped down each of the steps. "That's why we've always been so cautious as to who we travel with and talk to. We were careless this time."

Meryl remained silent.

"That won't happen again…" BDN gritted his teeth. "And then Vash…How could I have been so fooled as to believe that lie back in Orleans?" He chewed on the possibility for a bit longer. "So there really WAS a 'Vash the Stampede'? Not just a 'Vash' as we all knew, huh?"

"Shut up," Meryl spat. "Just shut the hell up would you? You don't know anything."

"And neither do you," Ingway responded. "After all you haven't seen him in four years have you? You don't know what he's been up to all this time. You don't even know his ulterior motive."

"Then why did we just leave him behind!? Why didn't we at least try to find out the truth!?" She was beginning to come unraveled again.

"Unless you have a death wish, Henai, there was no point in doing so." Ingway turned away from her. "There's the airship."

The path came to a halt as a large piece of machinery came into view. It was a war aircraft, painted gray to camouflage itself in the sky. The ship wasn't very tall, but actually quite wide.

"Executioner, dear friend, it is good to see you again," BDN grinned as he patted the side of the ship and looked at the panel to the side of the door. He tapped his fingers against several of the numbers and then paused.

"Access granted," The ship told them as the locks unlatched and the door was opened.

"Brilliant! Ingway!" Doc was the first to greet them. "Thank God you made it back alive. Quick, we're just about to launch the Executioner." Doc caught sight of the black figure over BDN's broad shoulder. "Henai?"

"Don't bother with her right now, Doc. She's an emotional wreck." BDN told the small man.

"Shut up BDN and put me down," She growled as the man set her down on the ground. She stood staring at him for a moment and then looked at Ingway. "My gun, Ingway."

"Don't shoot anyone, Henai," He told her as he handed her the gun. She accepted the gun and then paused again.

Then she quickly turned and belted BDN with the butt of the gun. He stepped backwards, his hands automatically going to his face.

Doc and Ingway froze in horror as they watched this monster of a woman, her eyes black, shove her gun back into her holster, scowling. "You still don't know anything, BDN." Her words were icy. "We didn't have to leave them behind."

She turned on her heel and was down the hall before any of them could respond to her actions. The slamming of a door resounded harshly against their ears, and all at once, it hit them as to what exactly happened back in Roklen.

BLD: Awwww…the group is all separated now. How do you feel about that, Demonte?

Demonte: --' ::His arms are folded tightly over his chest and he's hunched over:: …

BLD: Demonte?

Demonte: --' …

BLD: ::Pulls out a chocolate candy bar:: Demonte, I'll give you this candy bar if you say something… ::Dangles the candy bar in front of Demonte's face::

Demonte: …COOL! FREE CHOCOLATE! ::Snatches the chocolate out of BLD's hands, quickly unwraps it, inhales it, and then resumes his melancholy disposition::

BLD: O.O' …Demonte?

Demonte: --' …

BLD: …Whatever…Please R&R and constructive criticism is always welcomed, etc, etc, no flames, etc…sheesh…

BLD


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